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Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
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Townsend Center awarded Arts in Education Grant
November 17, 2004
CARROLLTON, GA - On the heels of its wildly successful production of “The Not So Scary Fairy Tales,” the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts continues its partnership with local organizations to present performances to school children. This season however, there is a new partner assisting the series tremendously.
The Townsend Center for the Performing Arts at the University of West Georgia was awarded a $2,500 grant this year by the Community Foundation of West Georgia for its Art in Education program, a partnership with the Carrollton Parks and Recreation Cultural Art Division.
“We are very grateful to the Community Foundation of West Georgia for their support,” said Robert Jennings, director of the Townsend Center.
Open to children in public, private, church and home schools, the Art in Education series served about 9,000 students in five counties — Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Heard — in 2003-04. The Community Foundation grant is being used to offer additional Art In Education events during the 2004-2005 season for offer programming, that would otherwise be too expensive to consider, at a reduced cost.
Designed to promote appreciation of the performing and cultural arts among young people, the Art in Education series presents as many as 20 productions annually. Such productions include classical and character-building plays, story tellers, illusionists, folk artists, and musical groups. Recent offerings have included “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Lewis and Clark,” “Ferdinand the Bull,” “Bill Harley: Songs and Stories,” and “The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion.”
The
first program in the 2004-2005 series is the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival
on Tuesday, Nov. 30. The Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival is an internationally
acclaimed ensemble of virtuoso balalaika musicians and folk ballet dancers
who have toured extensively in the United States and abroad for more than
20 years.
Under the direction of Nikolai Massenkoff, whose commanding bass-baritone voice and charismatic stage presence recently earned him the distinction of “Countryman of the Year” in Russia, the troupe has performed with such celebrities as Bob Hope, Julio Iglesias, Brooke Shields and Tony Bennett.
The Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival brings to life the rich heritage of Russia, incorporating beautifully chosen songs from this world-renowned singer, native costumes, dynamic dances, indigenous instruments played by virtuoso musicians, and a variety of traditional songs and stories. The live musicians play at pulse-gripping tempos and engage in intimate dialogue, involving members of the audience. Massenkoff and his company have performed in prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Olympic Stadium in Seoul, Korea, and Epcot Center’s World Stage in Florida.
The program covers a wide range of Russian performing arts- Cossack, Gypsy and Georgian dances, simple peasant melodies to Red Army chorus songs, instrumental pieces featuring balalaika, domra and bayan, and a segment featuring Russian gypsy melody. “Massenkoff took 1,776 people on a cultural journey to a distant country, with a brilliant depiction of Russian people!" wrote a reviewer for the The Monitor in McAllen, Texas.
The Townsend Center’s first production in the Art in Education series was “The Not So Scary Fairy Tales” proved to be a hit with children and adults alike. A large theatrical maze involving two dozen cast members from the University and community, the “Fairy Tales” drew nearly 800 patrons during its three-night run this October.
Opening night included a “Fairy Tales Art Contest” so that school children could participate in this community event. The Townsend Center received 391 submissions from elementary and middle schools. Ribbons were awarded by grade levels and winners included Breman Geachan of Ephesus Elementary in the PreK to first grade category, Sara Isbell of Bowdon Elementary and Emma Gilleran of Oak Mountain Academy in the second to fifth grade category, and Camille Clark of Central Elementary and Davisha Patel of Oak Mountain Academy in the sixth to eighth grade category.
“We were very pleased to have so many children participate in our very first art show,” said Robert Jennings, Director of the Townsend Center. “It was an amazing response.”
Performances of the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30. Tickets are $4 for students and teachers and $5 for additional chaperoning adults. Seats are still available for the 11:15 a.m. performance.
In addition to the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival, the Art in Education series for 2004 - 2005 includes “Ken Waldman: Alaska’s Fiddling Poet” in January, “The Little Baby Snoogle-Feejer” by Alliance Children’s Theatre and “Rainbow Fish” by ArtsPower in February, and “Little Red Riding Hood” by the Atlanta Opera in March.
“It is a pleasure to work with Carrollton Parks and Recreation as cosponsors of the Art in Education Series. It is a wonderful program that allows children to attend high quality performances at a local theatre for a fraction of the typical ticket cost,” said Jennings.
For reservations or more information, contact the Townsend Center box office at 678-839-4722 or visit its web site at www.townsendcenter.org.
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