Fourteen talented Pinellas County students who aspire to be musicians, actors, dancers, writers or visual artists were able to attend an Arts Camp this summer due to awards received from the St. Pete Arts Alliance’s Funding Futures Program. Creative Clay, American Stage, St. Pete MAD and others nominated creative, aspiring at-risk and/or low income students to attend their arts programs for the Summer while parents of these students filled out applications showing artistic and financial need.
Quote from Willow B. (age 11): “There is a summer intensive at SPBC that I would love to attend, but it is expensive and I know it would be difficult for my parents to pay for it. My mom and dad work very hard for our family….”
Quote from Mrs. T. about Maggie T. (age 12) attending St. Pete MAD’s Teen Beach Musical Camp –“The Funding Futures grant will make theater camp possible for my teen. She has been involved in theater, voice, and music for several years. Before she found the stage, she seemed timid and very much a “follower”. I wanted her to be a confident girl who was comfortable in her own skin and content to make her own decisions. Theater, music, and the stage have given her the confidence to be herself.”
Quote from American Stage about Amora J. (age 11) How did the “Speak Out: Creating Our Future” Summer Program change the student? “Amora showed immense compassion towards a student in the session who is neurodiverse. She was a leader in including him and making him feel more a part of the ensemble.”
St. Pete Arts Alliance’s Funding Futures programs (Summer & Fall) are dedicated to helping students nurture their creative interests and develop their expressive talent by providing funding to eligible students and connecting them to local after school arts programs or summer arts camps.
Quote from Tracy Kennard, Associate Director of the St. Pete Arts Alliance – “It’s not just about the art for these students. It’s about gaining confidence, understanding collaboration and feeling compassionate towards others and how the simple act of learning new artistic traits, can teach skills that are the building blocks of a promising future in any industry.”
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s Funding Futures Student Award program is designed to identify and encourage talented at-risk and/or low income emerging artists, ages 10-17 in Pinellas County seeking St. Petersburg programs in the categories of dance, music, jazz, voice, theater, digital arts, photography, cinematic arts, literary or visual arts. Funding Futures is open to all talented artists regardless of ethnic, social or economic background, or ability/disability.
Major funding sources from Tampa Bay Times Employee Matching Gifts, Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, and the Jacarlene Family Foundation have helped build the Funding Futures Grant Program for the past six years and now it has been extended to After School Art Programs for the Fall of 2021. If you are interested in supporting Funding Futures, your gift will help a young artist advance their interest in art and further develop their creative thinking, problem solving, communication and cooperation skills become a more well-rounded adult. https://stpeteartsalliance.org/donate/
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The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance strives to be the umbrella organization for the arts — advocating for the arts, facilitating the growth of the creative arts community, and driving arts-related economic development in St. Petersburg. www.stpeteartsalliance.org