A campus-wide initiative at UNCSA that aims to develop an understanding of the arts in a variety of Islamic contexts and among Muslim artists. The arts provide a context for fostering mutual understanding by allowing people, as varied as our viewpoints and values may be, to gain significant insights into our similarities by tapping into the common humanity that transcends us all.  Through research, interaction, and dialogue with Muslim artists and religious leaders, collaboration with Islamic Studies faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, and performing arts exchanges, we will garner expertise from performing artists and scholars and broaden the benefits of the project to learning communities beyond UNCSA.  

Fellowships awarded for qualified music students to participate in the 8-week world-famous summer Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado. Candidates are nominated to audition by Deans of the Schools of Music at the University of North Carollina School of the Arts and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. One candidate from each campus is selected by the Aspen Music Festival and School to participate in the summer program.

A collaboration with the UNCSA School of Design and Production and Cirque du Soleil to develop student-driven creative performances for jury by representatives of Cirque du Soleil. Several small teams of final-year UNCSA students will each create an 'act' of original creative work. In the summer following graduation, these students become Cirkus Theatre Resident Artists employed by UNCSA to rehearse and stage the acts for an invited audience and for a jury from Cirque du Soleil.

In partnership with the UNCSA School of Design and Production and the Education and Interactive units of WGBH in Boston, a small planned convening will allow for various perspectives on creativity, innovation and imagination.  WGBH will capture the event, supplementing video of live interactions with structured interviews. Footage of this forum will be used in multiple forms to support future development of a new multi-media project in the tradition of WGBH’s educational programming focusing on creativity.

Development of a unique set of non-credit courses and workshops to be offered through the UNCSA Office of Educational Outreach and Summer Programs beginning in summer 2012.  Plans include courses offered in partnership with nationally recognized artists and arts organizations; courses developed by UNCSA alumni, where they would teach while developing final performances; and directed-focus courses, addressing specific needs such as business skills for artists and teaching artist training.

A partnership with the UNCSA's Provost Office to support selected guest artist instructors across campus as Kenan Guest Artists to participate in student teaching and learning, as well as productions on campus.

A professional outreach program of UNCSA which brings the power of original live performances that integrate theater, dance and music to K-8 students across the southeast, featuring artists trained at UNCSA.  Open Dream Ensemble’s eighth season is one of increased networking throughout NC, deepened connections to UNCSA, further innovation in its second web series for children, based on the discoveries and theorems of the mathematician Pythagoras, expanded curriculum connections in residency work, and continuation of the tradition of creating great original, multidisciplinary theater.  A new original performance, Big Shoes, will be presented in 2012.  For more information, visit www.opendreamensemble.com.
 

Development of a new series of multi-media profiles highlighting the many deep and innovative practices in teaching and learning that are exemplified by the work of UNCSA faculty with their students.  Featuring faculty, students and professional colleagues in the arts, the series will showcase best practices in the education and training of young artists. 

A partnership with the UNCSA Chancellor’s office to engage external directors to work with UNCSA students and faculty to do live filming of campus productions for future UNC-TV broadcasts.  Matched by a grant from the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, this project has direct impact on student learning, allowing students on stage as well as students behind the cameras and in post-production to experience television production process with professional directors and a major broadcast station.    

A collaborative fellowship program for recent alumni of the UNCSA Visual Arts program which identifies outstanding young artists for full scholarships to attend one or two intensive summer workshops at Penland School of Crafts.  Kenan Fellows benefit from the professional instruction, artistic immersion, and concentrated focus offered by Penland’s unique educational model, with workshops in books and paper, clay, drawing and painting, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking and letterpress, textiles, wood, and other media. For more information, visit http://penland.org/programs/kenan.html.

A collaborative summer fellowship program for current UNCSA students that provides the opportunity to observe the inner-workings of this premier PBS station in Boston.  The experience focuses on projects related to K-16 education, working primarily with producers in the Education and Interactive units in Boston.  Kenan Fellows may spend a week shadowing media professionals at Seftel Productions in New York City; visit television production units such as Frontline, Nova and American Experience; and visit WGBH’s Archive and Media Resource Center.