 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
In the coming year, an estimated 24,000 children and adults will be served by Appel Farm's Community Arts Outreach Programs. In addition to Arts Classes and Workshops held at Appel Farm, the Center has been involved in an active program of bringing the arts and the thrill of live performance to children and adults living in the region.
Since the 1980s, the Family Matinée Series has brought amazing Saturday afternoon performances to the Center's 250-seat Clare Rostan Appel Theatre. Over the years, artists and theater companies have included the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Trout Fishing in America, the Pushcart Players, Opera on the Go, Tuckers' Tales Puppet Theatre, Theatreworks USA, the Blue Sky Puppet Theatre, Tom Paxton, Two of a Kind, Enchantment Theatre Company, Mum Puppetheatre and many others. In keeping with its mission to make quality arts performances accessible and affordable to all, the Center actively seeks support for the series in order to keep ticket prices within reach of everyone living in the area.
Acknowledging a serious lack of arts programs in many of the region's public schools, Appel Farm's staff began to develop music, dance, theater and visual arts programs for elementary and middle schools in Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester and Camden counties in the 1980s. Today, the Center has special relationships with sixteen elementary, middle and high schools, and currently brings theater residencies, dance and visual arts workshops and a wealth of music performances and interactive programs to more than 16,000 youth annually. Students also visit Appel Farm during their school day for Student Dance and Theater Matinées, giving them the opportunity to experience professional theater and dance as well as participate actively in educational programs. The George Street Playhouse, the Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, Randy James Danceworks, Yass Hakoshima, the Arden String Quartet, the Corigliano Quartet, The Kennedy Dancers, Prism Quartet, Marlon Simon and dozens of other performers have shared both their talents and their experiences of being artists with children. Visual artists, including Barbara Bullock, Winifred Radolen, and Eiko Takahashi, have introduced children to the concepts, techniques and materials of diverse art forms. Week-long residencies by Children's Classics Theatre involve entire schools in working with a troupe of professional actors producing a play, learning script reading, acting and other verbal and physical skills in the classroom as well as on stage. Thanks to generous support from a wide circle of funders, all of these programs are offered to schools for a modest administrative fee.
Bringing the arts to those who are among the most isolated in our communities is an ongoing goal of all of the Center's programs. When possible, tickets for events are given to other nonprofit organizations for their audiences. During the summer, students and instructors of the Summer Arts Camp plan programs and activities that are presented at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, youth residential centers, community centers, and special needs programs throughout the region. Many programs combine performance with opportunities for Appel Farm campers and individuals of all generations to interact. These acts of "giving back" and sharing with a larger community are viewed as fundamental to Appel Farm's mission and to the goal of making youth more aware of the diversity of audiences who can enjoy and benefit from their many talents. Each summer, concerts, hands-on workshops, dance and theater skits, photography projects, oral history programs and other events taking place at 10 to 12 venues serve more than 500 individuals.
News! Appel Farm Community Arts Outreach Project Featured in Geraldine R. Dodge 2004-2005 Biennial Report.
Over the years, Appel Farm has involved community members in creating a number of works of art. Some of these projects have resulted in permanent artworks, both at the Center (see Artworks at Appel Farm), and in the community. Working with professional artists, youth and adults have had opportunities to learn about and collaborate in the creation of monumental outdoor sculpture and decorative tile installations, painted murals, indoor wall reliefs and an etched glass screen reflecting both environmental and social/political concerns. Visit this site regularly to see if an art project is being planned – then come and become an active part of making art happen!
