Mission Statement:
The mission statement of the Crisp Area Arts Alliance is to be an active participant in the development and growth of cultural activities in our community by providing Arts-in-Education programming, promoting local artists, presenting programs and Special Events, and partnering with the community in the arts on all levels.
Previous Arts Projects:
• The Missoula Children’s Theater provided a week-long theater program here in 2006.
• In 2007, a local drama teacher did a week-long theater with production at the end of the week.
• We have and are currently offering art lessons after school to the students of Blackshear Trail Elementary and to the students in the 21stCentury program using the “Arts Attack” program. The grades range from 1st to 7th, and the children are bussed to our building by the schools. These lessons are free.
• Hand drumming is also taught at our facility to the challenged children in our schools. These lessons are also free, and the children are brought by bus twice a week.
• We have a home school art class that comes once a week to provide art as part of the curriculum.
• Our facility also provides a keyboard room to teach piano lessons to up to eight children at one time.
• In February of 2008, the Atlanta Pops provided a concert for the public, and then they did a special performance for the students at Crisp County Middle School.
• In July of 2008, the CAAA hosted a week-long Art Camp which exposed about 50 children to various art mediums.
• In September of 2008, an acting troupe from Atlanta performed at every elementary school in Crisp County. The subject of their plays revolved around sharing with others, as well as how to deal with bullies.
• We currently instruct around 150 children per week.
Description and Outreach:
Now that we have the beginning of “Sparks on the Flint” under way, we would like to be able to continue with the project. Sharon Stewart adapted the book into play form and would now be moving on to producing the play.
Every segment of our population is represented in this play, black, white, and brown skinned. We had a local author re-write the play, and we now would like to have a local college student to compose music used in the play. The composer would receive GAP funding as a stipend. We would use the remaining GAP funding towards anything related and necessary for the production of this program. We are in need of a producer/director, and would also need to pay for any props and advertisement that we cannot get donated.
We hope to have a kick off with one big production for the community. After that, we would hope to present the play in a smaller form to our local school children as part of our Arts in Education program. In the past, the CAAA has successfully been able to provide a live performance for every Crisp County student.
The estimated cast for this production would be about 25. Our audience size would be limited to 150 which is what our building holds. If we are asked to continue the play annually we will know its worth. It is a great visual history of our local heritage.
Local high school students writing “Sparks on the Flint” inspired this project. We plan to work with our Little Theater Group for production help, as well as The Visual Arts group for scenery.
Through the Cordele Dispatch and WSST-TV, we have invited all of those interested in the project to attend and provide valuable input, and we plan on continuing to do so throughout the production of the project. We will also ask the individuals who helped to collect data for a historical DVD on the founding of Crisp County to help in the production of the play. The information that they have compiled will be extremely helpful. Several great Crisp County historians have been asked to put this production together orally. Their ages vary drastically, proving that both young and old enjoy our local history.
When ready for production, this play will be publicized in the Dispatch and we will appear on WSST-TV. The Crisp County Power bill will carry our announcements as well. The CAAA will also send a notice in our monthly newsletter. The local civic clubs, Rotary, Lion and Lioness, Kiwanis, and Junior League will all be aware of the production. We intend on the play being free to the public in order to ensure that no one will be unable to attend.
Our facility is handicap accessible. It is widely used for family reunions, birthday parties, dances, etc. It is one of the most utilized multi-cultural buildings in our county for public gatherings. All of our constituencies are special!
Key Leaders:
• Sharon Stewart – to author the play
• Rebecca Stewart – to write music
• Cliff Harpe – Crisp County Historian
• Melton Culpepper- Crisp County Historian
• Joyce Pheil – Crisp County Historian (former County Commissioner)