The following interviews were conducted by Jason Nicholas with faculty of the BuildaBridge Institute.

Certificate in Arts for Transformation (Planning in Progress. Expected offering in 2012)

Summary Description: The Certificate of Training is awarded by BuildaBridge and in alliance with approved organizations and universities as a non-degree and non-credit certificate granted to students who have completed all requirements through residency-based training and online coursework in preparation to serve their communities effectively as arts-based teaching and psycho-social support assistants and community workers. The Certificate of Training is awarded by the BuildaBridge Institute.  The certificate represents a minimum of eighty (80) hours of on-ground instruction, forty (40) hours of online course work, and one hundred (120) hours of practical supervised experience.

Introduction

The portfolio, whether as an entrance requirement or culminating study example, provides evidence of the student's creative efforts and ability in a chosen art form (music, dance, drama, visual arts, media).

What is the Portfolio? The Portfolio brings together all of your work to this point in your career. The Portfolio may combine both creative efforts and papers from traditional courses that apply to an overall theme.

What should you include in the Portfolio? One way to decide what to include is to think about what you would want to bring to a job interview to demonstrate the breadth of your professional experience and the quality of your work. Remember, faculty in the Arts in Transformation concentration, as well as potential employers, are interested in your art-making, writing, research, and communication skills, as well as your experience.

The following is a letter of Institute participant and Arts in Transformation MA in Urban Studies student, Kelly Finlaw, sent to the principal of the school where she teaches in New York.

it was so good to be back at school yesterday.  i missed everyone so much while i was gone.  it was good to be home again.

i know that every teacher in the city of new york is obligated to get their master's degree and i know that there are several teachers in our building that are currently in other programs and i know that they probably don't email you reflections on their classes.  but there are so many reasons that i would like to share my thoughts about my first residency with you.

1.  you are one of the main reasons that i took the step to apply to this program
2.  this program is about using art to transform communities.  my community and area of influence is our school and what happens in our school starts and ends with you.
3.  i have to miss school for my residencies and feel like there is accountability for the days that i missed.  reflecting on the residencies seems like a good way to be accountable.

Register now for the 2011 BuildaBridge Institute.  Follow this link to the online registration form.

Pricing Cost of the Institute 2011

Open Institute Registration

Full Registration is $575 for both tracks Single Day Rate. Consult schedule for courses each day Single Day, inclusive of registration and 2 meals (lunch and dinner).

• Wednesday, June 1 ($100 Registration, $25 2-Meal package)
• Thursday, June 2 ($135 Registration, $40 3-Meal package)
• Friday, June 3 ($135 Registration, $40 3-Meal package)
• Saturday, June 4 ($135 Registration, $40 3-Meal package)

Arts Relief one-day training course:

Monday, June 6 Registration $99 Arts Relief one-day training course

Payment and Registration

Please write two separate checks, one for room and board and one for registration costs. Please make checks payable to BuildaBridge International with "Institute registration" or "Institute room/board" in the memo line. Do not send cash. We are requesting checks in an effort to save 3-6% service charges through online and credit card payments. Some scholarships may be available depending on funding.  No full scholarships are provided and applicants are asked to contribute something.

Celebrate the tenth anniversary BuildaBridge Institute.  Contribute to a unique gallery exhibit Sunday afternoon at the close of the Institute. One element of the art exhibit highlights collaborative art-making and the lessons learned during our first Artist's Retreat.  Alumni are also asked to share the Institute's impact on their arts programming and work through information and artwork displays.  The exhibit is open to the public plus current Institute attendees and guests are invited to engage in dialogue with alumni about their displays. In this way, our celebration of past attendees' achievements will also be a teaching tool for current students as they learn about how Institute concepts have been applied in life, experience, and work.

Sunday, June 5, 2011 from 1-2:30pm

Eastern University Falls Center Campus

3300 Henry Avenue

Philadelphia, PA

If you are an alumni or past faculty member and would like to participate, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information or to secure a limited spot.

Where Are They Now? 2003 Institute Alumni Ginger Huebner is the founding director of the Roots + Wings School of Art in Asheville, North Carolina. Please find her website here.

The BuildaBridge Institute is a training and applied research academy designed to prepare artists, youth workers, community and congregational leaders, teachers, social service professionals, and nonprofit organization personnel to integrate the arts effectively in education, social services and community development.  The Institute includes The Annual Institute in Philadelphia, monthly trainings at the BuildaBridge House, International Trainings as part of Diaspora of Hope and Arts Relief and Development, and the Online Institute.  BuildaBridge offers a graduate level Arts in Transformation concentration in the M.A. in Urban Studies program through an educational alliance with Eastern University.

Goals

Outcomes for all Institute programs

Outcomes for all Institute participants

Learning Environment

We value the interactive, experiential and tactile strategies in learning about the arts. We value the need for an environment that provides a sociological context in which practitioners learn and work. We value instructors who have both experience and knowledge in community arts and who have demonstrated ability to relate these to a diverse student population. We value the experience of practitioners who bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and questions to the learning environment. We value the concerns of leaders and educators who may not be performing artists but who seek to use the power of arts in transformation. We value artists who seek to place their gift in the service of others.

Therefore, BuildaBridge Institute is designed to take place within an urban context and to involve faculty with the experience, knowledge and characteristics expressed in the values above. Faculty and participants are encouraged to discuss ways to improve how the arts are used to bring community transformation. While some courses are offered for specific needs, other courses are planned to encourage cross-disciplinary interaction. We further seek to provide opportunities for collaborative art making within the Institute.

How the Institute Works

The Institute, in consultation and planning with a local committee, runs from four to seven days. Participants may become a full Institute participant for courses throughout the entire program, or they may elect to attend for one day or for a specific course (see registration form for details). To meet the needs of diverse audiences, the Institute culminates in a celebration, or creative worship experience, where participants and community groups are invited to share artistic skills. Site visits to model faith-based community arts programs are offered following the Institute proper.

Institute Courses

Courses for the Institute are in four categories: Foundational Theory, Arts Management and Education, Applied Arts and Collaborative Art-Making. All courses are offered in a five - day residency; however, on-line courses and podcasts are in development.

Overseas Programs

BuildaBridge International has a number of long-term relationships with organizations around the world. Throughout the year, Institutes are held in collaboration with these host partners. Each overseas Institute has a general educational theme. For example, in the Republic of Georgia, the focus is on the study of iconic art and economic development. Interested students should check the annual International schedule for potential international Institutes.

Internships

In partnership with a number of community arts organizations in Philadelphia (and other cities of the United States and overseas), six-month internships are possible through The Institute. The internship allows students to gain practical skills in community arts management and performance skills by applying theoretical knowledge and art skills under the supervision of a successful artist/community practitioner.

Application should be made with the Institute coordinator three months prior to the expected start date of the internship. An intern is expected to sign a covenant and maintain weekly rehearsals and meetings with his or her host organization. Regular reporting to the Institute coordinator, as well as a final report are required for satisfactory completion of the internship.