ARTS EDUCATION AT PREGONES

EDUCATION PROGRAM GOALS & RATIONALE
Under the leadership of Associate Artistic Director Jorge B. Merced, co-author of the NYC Department of Education Blueprint for Theater Arts Education, the overall goals of Pregones Theater’s Education Program are: (1) To offer low-cost access to professional theater and performing arts learning; and (2) To validate the developmental experience and creativity of children, youth, and adults. The program dates back to 1984 when the organization formally partnered with Bronx schools to bring the arts into largely Latino classrooms. Since then the program has grown to include a wide range of activities both on-site at Pregones Theater, and off-site at local schools, colleges, and community-based venues. Since its inception, the Education program has responded to a locally voiced need for bilingual Latino arts and cultural promotion, alternatives to commercial entertainment, and events that fit comfortably into school and working family schedules.

EDUCATION PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Key components include the Family Fun series in December, Teatro Matinee year-round matinees for multiple audience segments, Pregones In Motion off-site performances conducted in collaboration with local community-based partners, and our Circle of Scholars initiative linking local school and college-level faculty, student leaders, and other cultural workers. Other projects include curriculum arts integration workshops based on the New York City Blueprints for Arts Education, and hands-on training on the technical aspects of theater. Professional development and curriculum arts integration modules are pre-approved by the New York City Department of Education

RECENT FEATURES
Recently featured productions include El encuentro de Juan Bobo y Pedro Animal (The encounter of Juan Bobo and Pedro Animal), based on the folklore of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and Federico García Lorca’s Los Títeres de Cachiporra (The Billy Club Puppets), both performed by Teatro SEA; concerts and demonstrations by multicultural dance and music troupe M’Oro Flamenco, led by Metropolitan Opera dancers Jenny Bascos and Greg de Silva; and The Phone Call, an interactive forum theater play commissioned by the Office of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. and the Office of District Attorney Robert T. Johnson.

Call or email for more information: 718-585-1202 / info@pregones.org