Mark your calendars! This spring, there will be a two-day Arts in Education (AIE) Professional Development Retreat for teachers, artists, and representatives from community organizations. The retreat, sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 20-21, 2001, on the grounds of Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock, Arkansas. Several AIE residencies have been presented at Camp Aldersgate as a part of its summer Med Camps program, and its facilities are located on a lovely wooded site which is perfect for a retreat setting.
Linda Phenix of Chrysalis Dance Company in Houston, Texas, will conduct the series of workshops that are designed to help teachers and artists excel in the classroom and learn new ways to see the importance of the arts with a focus on dance and movement. Teachers will discover how the arts can become an integral part of the learning process. Ms. Phenix, a dancer and choreographer, has conducted dance residencies throughout Texas. As a teaching artist, she has worked with a wide range of students and has conducted teacher workshops on integrating the arts into curriculum. In 1996, she was named "Teaching Artist of the Year" by the Texas Institute of Arts in Education. Ms. Phenix also directs Chrysalis Dance Company, Houston's foremost modern dance company, and is on the dance faculty at Rice University in Houston.
The retreat will also include workshop activities in visual arts, theatre, music, and creative writing, plus a networking/sharing component on Friday evening. The cost for the entire retreat (workshops, meals and overnight lodging) is $50 per person. For those wanting to make other arrangements for the overnight stay, the cost for the workshops and meals is $30.00 per person. However, we encourage all participants to stay overnight at Camp Aldersgate in order to participate in the whole experience.
This will be a great way to network and learn new ideas and concepts for integrating the arts into curriculum.
Space is limited. For more information, contact Cynthia Haas at 501-324-9769 or cynthia@arkansasheritage.org