01 May Opera ‘N Art in the Era of COVID-19
Opera ‘N Art in the era of COVID-19: The world’s most sought-after children’s arts programming now on-line for FREE!
It all started in 1997 as HIArt!, the Best of New York children’s arts program for the kids of the rich, the famous and the erudite – David Bowie, Hugh Jackman, Annie Leibovitz, Liya Kebede, Erica Reid, Gina MacArthur, Mort Zuckerman, Wendi Deng and so many, many more – when in 2006, HiArt!’s founder, Cyndie Berthézène, realized that it wasn’t enough to just scholarship kids whose parents found the program, it was time to make the exact same program available as many of the youngest and most disadvantaged public school kids in the city as possible. With the understanding – of course – that it would be the exact same program – not a rich kids’ and a poor kids’ program.
And so it happened that The Time In Children’s Arts Initiative invited 30 kindergarteners from one of Harlem’s, most severely challenged Title 1 public schools, into the world of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte and the art of Donald Baechler within the first two weeks of the program.
Over the past 13 years, Time In has been an essential part of the school day for nearly 3000 public elementary school kids in some of the city’s most under-resourced schools. The program that now runs continuously from 3K through 5th grade graduation serves seriously disadvantaged children of color – children in domestic violence and homeless shelters, NYCHA housing, foster care, living below the poverty line – with, exactly the same programming that their wealthier peers can access. And schools, children, and families have thrived thanks to Time In’s commitment helping kids understand themselves as players in a wider world.
At the outbreak COVID-19, Time In created an exceptional YouTube channel called Opera ‘N Art
Opera ‘N Art on Youtube
Opera ‘N Art on YouTube is A Mommy & Me project done by Cyndie and her extraordinarily talented daughter, Zoë Greenbaum. (zoegr.com), who – once upon a time – was one of the two first HiArt! students back in September of 1997. Today an accomplished artist, writer and up and coming filmmaker, Zoë is a testament to what kids can do when they are inspired, engaged and instructed.
Together Cyndie and Zoë – presenting extraordinarily detailed arts-immersive lessons of Opera + Art, – are taking advantage of this unusual moment: for the first time the kids of Time In have access to the internet and a tablet – tools that prior to the onset of the coronavirus were completely out of the question for most of them.
Access for all: has always been Time In’s main goal. These lessons – that are presently making their way around the globe – are perfect for kids (and adults) of all ages. There are incredible La Cenerentola (yes, that’s Rossini’s version of Cinderella) -based manga (the still form of Japanese anime) lessons given by Zoë, a graduate of the renowned Kyoto Seika University Gag Manga Department in Kyoto, Japan, and Collage lessons with Cyndie . Cyndie’s lessons are exactly like she does in school with kids as young as 3K. So Grown-up & Me with kids as young as 2.5 or 3!
We hope that those who love the lessons, will consider a small donation to Time In so that the program can continue changing the lives and learning of NYC’s youngest and most disadvantaged children. But all the lessons are completely fabulous and FREE!
You can find out more about Time In HERE.
And in THIS 140 second presentation that Cyndie gave at the Santa Fe Art Institute
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