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Statement Against Police Violence

Daunte Wright (20 years old), Adam Toledo (13 years old), Ma’Khia Bryant (16 years old) and Mario Gonzalez (26) should still be here. Instead, they were murdered by the police. They could be any one of our Workshop students. We mourn their lives and rage against the systems responsible for their deaths. It is deplorable that Black and Latinx youth are murdered in the name of…

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Sample Lesson Plan

Curriculum Overview Template  Art form: Creative Movement Grade level(s): Pre-K  Artist name: Chinchin Hsu Number of residency classes: 15    Guiding Question (“How does X affect Y?” For example, “How does focusing on the elements of pitch, dynamics, and tempo affect a student’s ability to connect music with emotion?”):  How does focusing on the elements of directions,…

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Geneva Powerhouse Past, Present, Future

    Photo courtesy of The Wall Street Journal Built in 1901 as an office building and streetcar operations center, the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse has had a rich and long-standing history at the heart of San Francisco. This historical landmark, which Performing Arts Workshop became the tenant of in 2019, has witnessed the changing landscape of San Francisco for…

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Statement in Support of Our Asian Community

Dear Performing Arts Workshop community,  Our hearts are heavy with grief and rage as we mourn the deaths of eight people, including six Asian women, who were recently murdered in Atlanta. We honor the lives of: Delaina Ashley Yaun Paul Andre Michels Xiaojie Tan Daoyou Feng Soon Chung Park Hyun Jung Grant Suncha Kim, &  Yong Ae Yue  We send our most sincere condolences to…

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Statement in Defense of Black Lives Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Statement in Defense of Black Lives Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) See our statement here. “In Defense of Black Lives” explained Q: What does “In Defense of Black Lives” mean? A: The Movement for Black Lives called for a week of immediate action in defense of Black lives from June 1st to June 5th, 2020. We use the phrase “in defense of Black lives” in…

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Exploring Pattern & Disruption through Comics

Lesson by Sabina Kariat, taught at the Spring Learning and Growth session for Workshop Teaching Artists in February 2021. Patterns exist everywhere in life. There are physical patterns, like the tiles in your bathroom or the spikes on a pinecone. There are artistic patterns, like the beats in a song or the use of colors and shapes in a painting. And there are thought patterns…

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Learning and Growing: How Sabina Kariat Centers Anti-Racism in the Classroom

  On February 18th and 20th, the Workshop’s staff and artists participated in a Learning & Growth session facilitated by Bay-Area based writer, poet, and educator Darius Simpson. In this two day seminar, we dug deep to address the hazy division of the professional and personal -- namely how racism, sexism, and the many -isms that often translate into the workplace can…

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Composition & Movement at Balboa High, with Chinchin Hsu!

    Since April 2020, and in the midst of a global pandemic, our Teaching Artists at the Workshop have continued to engage with students across the Bay Area through remote online learning. One of our Teaching Artists, Chinchin Hsu, recently introduced students at Balboa High School to elements of composition in visual art and dance. In a Zoom classroom setting last…

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Glitter Jar DIY Tutorial!

  Looking for a fun home art project that can also be a mindfulness and anxiety tool? Look no further! Glitter jars are a beautiful and accessible way for kids and adults to regulate their emotions -- all you do is pick it up, swirl the contents, and watch the glittering particles slowly swirl down to the bottom of the jar. Here’s how to make one:   Ingredients:……

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Statement in Defense of Black Lives from the Anti-Racism Committee

We write this with rage, grief, and fierce love for our Black students, teaching artists, and wider community. As an organization, and particularly as an organization that serves Black youth, we recognize that remaining silent is violent and contradictory to our mission. We mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed,…

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