For over 30 years, the Kenan Institute for the Arts has been committed to promoting
creative leadership and innovation in the arts through partnerships, programs and
initiatives. The following list of programs and projects represent our history in
exploring exciting trends, connecting with innovative arts leaders and positively
impacting the public’s understanding and appreciation of the arts.
A+ School Program
A comprehensive school reform begun in 1994 that views the arts as fundamental to
how teachers teach and how students learn in all subjects.
ACCORD
Artists Contributing to Civic and Responsive Democracy (ACCORD) partnered young, emerging
artists with local nonprofits and governmental agencies to address community needs
and issues related to culture, identity and inequity.
Arts Enterprise Lab
The Kenan Institute for the Arts and the Center for Creative Economy partnered on
the Arts Enterprise Lab to encourage the creative community to collaborate and develop
and grow their ideas. Training and strategic coaching sessions conducted at the Creative
Community Lab encouraged, mentored and developed creative enterprises. This work helped
outline the pathways necessary for business development, customer identification,
revenue growth, finance and marketing.
Artpreneur Awards
The Kenan Institute for the Arts led the development of the Chancellor’s Artpreneur
Initiative (2017-2022), part of a shared strategic initiative of UNCSA and the Kenan
Institute to catalyze arts-based community and economic development. Each year, Artpreneur
of the Year Awards were given to two UNCSA alumni in support of a creative project
or enterprise and Student Artpreneur Grants were awarded to graduating students to
support their creative work or enterprise.
Artivate Summit
The Creative Catalyst Artivate Summit (2019-2021) was an arts-infused experience that
connected artists with a vibrant and diverse community of creative leaders, innovators
and entrepreneurs who contribute their creative ideas, visionary leadership and novel
strategies to strengthen our culture and improve the economic and social well-being
of their communities.
ARTStem
An initiative inspired by artists and scholars who efface the lines between "the arts"
and the "STEM" disciplines of science, engineering, technology and mathematics, bringing
UNCSA faculty together with public school educators for seminars and creative teaching
collaborations and programming.
BREATHE Faculty Professional Development at UNCSA
For UNCSA teaching artist faculty to design collaborative, multi-disciplinary summer
intensive projects that would stimulate course and curriculum development within and
across schools and programs at UNCSA
Community Innovation Labs
The Kenan Institute for the Arts, in partnership with The Winston-Salem Foundation
and the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, convened the first Community
Innovation Lab in the nation in 2015.
The Lab brought together a coalition of 40 city officials, business and faith leaders,
artists, academics, low-wage workers and others, who sought to address formidable
local disparities using a change process deeply informed by artists and artistic practices.
The framework for the labs was developed by EmcArts of New York City with funding
from the Kresge Foundation as an innovative response to complex social challenges
across the United States.
Conservatory Leadership Conference
The Kenan Institute and UNCSA hosted the first national conference of conservatory
leaders in 2002, with a second convening taking place in 2007.
Creative Catalyst Certificate
The Certificate Program was an online, non-degree continuing education program that
gave students and artists an opportunity to strengthen their technical, creative and
leadership skills through a combination of self-directed experiential projects and
assignments.
Creative Community Lab
In April 2016, the Kenan Institute opened the Creative Community Lab in an historic
Railroad Building in downtown Winston-Salem. The leased facility offered programmatic,
meeting and temporary work space for UNCSA faculty and staff, guest artists, community
members and partner organizations that aligned with the Institute’s mission and programmatic
themes.
Educational Outreach and Summer Programs
Development of a unique set of non-credit courses and workshops offered through the
UNCSA Office of Educational Outreach and Summer Programs, begun in summer 2012. Courses
included: those offered in partnership with nationally recognized artists and arts
organizations; courses developed and taught by UNCSA alumni, while developing final
performances; and directed-focus courses, addressing specific needs such as business
skills for artists and teaching artist training.
Dance Collaborations: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
An unprecedented workshop focused on collaborative and creative methods for choreographers
and dancers on the campus of UNCSA in August 2011.
Dialogues: Conversations with Guest Artists
Events focusing on conversations with guest artists who visited the UNCSA campus to
work directly with young artists in training, sharing their experience and knowledge
of the profession from the standpoint of a working professional.
Directors Program at UNC-TV
A partnership with UNCSA, matched by a grant from the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, that
engaged professional directors to work with students and faculty to do live filming
of campus productions for UNC-TV broadcasts, allowing students to experience the television
production process with a major broadcast station.
Happy Hill Partnership
The Kenan Institute worked in partnership with the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association
to present Happy Hill Arts, a place-based arts and cultural initiative in a historically
African American community adjacent to the University. Additionally, in 2019, UNCSA,
in partnership with the Kenan Institute and the Winston-Salem Department of Community
Development, received an Our Town grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to
support an artist-led cultural restoration project in the Happy Hill neighborhood.
Kenan Arts Research Fellows
Through Kenan Arts Research Fellowships, the Kenan Institute facilitated inquiry,
led interactions and supported initiatives that identified and tracked skills and
knowledge in leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation in the arts with UNCSA students,
graduates, faculty and the field. Fellowship recipients included UNCSA School of Design
& Production faculty Christal Schanes and Norman Coates, and UNCSA School of Drama
alumna Emily Simoness.
Kenan Writers' Encounters
A series of special events at UNCSA that brought renowned and emerging writers, artists
and thinkers to innovative forums that focused on a variety of topics.
LEAP
The LEAP initiative defined area resources across the campus of UNCSA and the adjoining
neighborhood of Washington Park, as well as artists, to ground strategic thinking
in history and current conditions and look toward innovative and extraordinary alliances
for future programs and projects.
Lincoln Center Institute International Educator Workshop
The Kenan Institute for the Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC), and the
Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education (LCI) presented the second southeastern
regional LCI International Educator Workshop on the UNCSA campus in August 2011.
LINKS Commissioning Project
In partnership with the UNCSA School of Music, four commissioned pieces were presented
in world premiere performances on campus during 2009-2010.
Magnolia Baroque Festival
A biannual festival held at UNCSA and venues in Winston-Salem, featuring world-class
performers of Baroque music in glorious concerts of some of the most beloved music
of all time.
MusicianCorps
A Music National Service Initiative that provided outreach opportunities for UNCSA
students to take part in community-based public service projects, serving as teachers
and mentors in low-performing public schools, youth centers, hospitals, and other
high-need community settings.
Oklahoma! Web Series
An 8-episode web series documenting the history of Oklahoma!, alongside UNCSA's 2011
production of this landmark work in the American musical theatre repertoire.
Open Dream Ensemble
A professional outreach program which brought the power of original live performances
that integrated theater, dance and music to K-8 students across the southeast.
Random Dance
Wayne McGregor/Random Dance brought the choreographic teaching tools of the multi-award
winning choreographer Wayne McGregor to UNCSA. One hundred School of Dance students
participated in the project and co-created choreography for the UNCSA Winter Dance
Program.
Teaching and Learning Center at UNCSA
Working closely with the UNCSA Provost's Office, the Teaching and Learning Center
was created to advance and enhance the work of UNCSA's world-class faculty with a
focus on supporting engaged teaching, creative activity and research, while providing
a structure for collaborative efforts between faculty members in sharing their learning
experiences and research methods within different departments.
UNCSA Southeastern Regional Entertainment Technology Conference
A conference in collaboration with the UNCSA School of Design and Production, featuring
Cirque du Soleil's Resident Shows Division and their business partners with demonstrations
of Cirque's cutting-edge automation techniques, rigging, show operations, digital
projection, wardrobe/wig/makeup and audio system.
