Arts Teach @ The Mann

With the completion of The Mann’s $15 million in capital renovations in 2007, the Field Education Center was opened in the spring of 2007. This new space enabled The Mann to expand our educational programs by providing a studio space for intimate workshops, lectures and demonstrations for area youth to interact with local and internationally renowned artists, and engage personally with the performing arts.

In its first year The Mann brought nearly 3,000 youth to the new education center for ArtsTeach, our expanded educational programs, with 55 separate events over 6 programs including: Artist in Residency, Master Class, Meet the Artist, In Touch with Tiny Tots, Greenfield Performance Treasures, and Connecting Arts @ the Center.

In 2009, ArtsTeach's third season,  we reached over 4,700 youth from city wide schools, recreation centers, churches, and cultural and national organizations with 43 workshops. These workshops helped students aged 3-17 to comprehend and retain, improved self-esteem, and challenged them to think in new and creative ways. The Mann Center provides these exceptional programs and transportation free of charge to all ArtsTeach participants.

Meet the Artist

This series offers artistic career-bound students the opportunity to collaborate with professional artists during various workshops. These intimate sessions allow students to interact with world-class artists and receive immediate feedback with lasting value toward furthering their aspirations of a professional career in the arts.  

On May 28th, 2010 students at Girard Academic Music Program will take part in an international cultural exchange project between the US and Royal Netherlands embassies in collaboration with Jazzmobile featuring Dutch Trumpeter Michael Varekamp.

About Michael Varekamp

Michael Varekamp was born in Rotterdam in 1968 and started playing the trumpet at the age of 10.  When he was 12, he was deeply affected by a Louis Armstrong album which he found among his father's music collection, and by age of 13 he was already leading his first little jazz band.  In 1996 he graduated cum laude from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and spent most of his time as a sideman on tour with Fra Fra Sound and the Dutch Swing College Band, playing at many festivals and concerts in Australia, South Africa, Great Brittania, Cuba, Tunisia, Malta and all over Europe.
 
In the Netherlands and abroad Michael plays in many clubs, theatres, concert halls and at various festivals, often giving workshops and guest lectures.  He regularly contributes to film, radio and tv productions and is also host and producer of the live jazz program Jazz on West for RTVWEST.  In October of 2001, he received the Kobe Award for outstanding young talent in Kobe, Japan.  Besides playing the trumpet, Michael sings and composes for various bands.  

During his career, Michael has performed with many great musicians from various spheres like Lalo Shifrin, Scott Hamilton, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Conte Candoli, Wendell Brunious, Joris Teepe, John Engels, Denise Jannah, Frits Landesbergen, Jarmo Hoogendijk, Peter Beets, Dee Daniels, Philip Harper, Ralph Peterson and Brian Lynch.  Michael is currently working as a bandleader on his own with the MICHAEL VAREKAMP JAZZ QUARTET and THE COSMIC SCENE.  This year, Michael is working on a new CD and has tours scheduled in Israël, West-Africa, and New York.
 

In Touch With Tiny Tots

These participatory workshops/performances are provided in music, creative dramatics, puppetry, storytelling, dance, and movement. They provide a nurturing environment where young participants in grades PK-3 can discover their creativity and self-expression through the arts.
 

The Mann Center presented RAGGS Live Dance Party for our tiny tots on May 11th and 12th at the Girard Academic Music Program.  Over 1,200 little ones moved and grooved with these five colorful canines in a learning adventure!
RAGGS also performed for the families at The Ronald McDonald House on Chestnut Street on May 11th.  Everyone had a wonderful time!
 

Connecting Arts @ The Center

This series connects students and teachers directly with professional artists in participatory activities that enrich, educate, and entertain. Participants are selected from public schools, the Philadelphia Department of Recreation and citywide summer camps. This past season, more than 800 participants filled the Education Center for these wonderful workshops.

 

Greenfield Performance Treasures

This series is an expansion of The Mann Center’s Young People’s Concert Series designed to connect the young participants directly to the scheduled performances and artists with pre-and-post concert demonstrations, lectures, and participatory activities. The workshops this past season reached over 2,000 young people!

ArtsTeach @ the Mann has been made possible with support from:

• Hamilton Family Foundation
• The LENFEST Foundation
• Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation
• The Christopher Ludwick Foundation

The Greenfield Performance Treasures Series has been possible by a grant awarded by The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation.