FirstWorks

We are #hiring staff for our Summer Arts Camp enrichment program administered by FirstWorks for the Pawtucket School District! Apply and learn more on our website: https://lnkd.in/d4EWcv7p The five-week program features daily activities with camp counselors and experienced artists who will teach team building, meditation, and creative and expressive skills, all concentrated in forms of sound, movement, theatre, and visual art. The program will also take students on excursions to artistic and cultural venues in RI for workshops with creative practitioners in the community including Open Farms (Cumberland), Tomaquag Museum (Exeter), and Goddard Park (Warwick). The theme of this year’s program is using art to convey how we think about food, ancestry, environmental justice, and identity. Students will reflect and connect different artistic styles, social and cultural learning, and expressive practices to create their art, showcased during the camp’s last week. FirstWorks is looking for individuals with a passion for arts education.?Counselors will work at the FirstWorks office in Providence (235 Promenade Street, Suite 130) and onsite at a Pawtucket school (exact location TBD.)

The Providence Business News talked to FirstWorks Board President Nirva R. LaFortune about her inspired background "As a Black Haitian American woman with Afro-Latin roots... immersed in storytelling, music and dance," and her goals for FirstWorks "...To elevate the transformative power of the arts, ensuring they are accessible to everyone in our state. By doing so, we can inspire, connect and transform lives through the universal language of the arts." Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eBn79Ega

FirstWorks is thrilled to share that we have been awarded two $75K Placemaking Initiative grants from Rhode Island Commerce. Support like this is so meaningful to FirstWorks in continuing our work connecting art with audiences! With this support, we're excited to: ? Expand our free Summer Beats Concerts at Roger Williams Park – now in its 6th year! (late June-July 2025) ??Continue our Global Journeys programming, spotlighting a world of artists and cultures for our community Next up: Future Folklore with Karim Nagi, March 6 at Providence Public Library and Red Baraat Festival of Colors at The Strand April 3 Thank you to Rhode Island Commerce and Governor McKee and congratulations to our fellow awardees. You can read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eZrkqarA

We’re always looking for new ways to make our programs and content accessible to everyone! This week, we launched the Userway accessibility widget on our website. Click on the blue & white icon of a person to give it a try. Choose from a menu including translation of our website into 40+ world languages, a screen reader, adjustments for text size, contrast, colors, spacing and more. Give it a whirl and let us know what you discover! https:firstworks.org

We look forward to bringing Rhode Island students and our community together around this inclusive, all-ages artist residency celebrating Arabic music, dance and culture with Karim Nagi.

We did it! Thanks to YOU, we’ve met our Challenge Grant goal for FirstWorks Summer Arts Camp! Your support makes a direct impact on the lives of Rhode Island youth. The work isn’t over yet! As we plan for our 2025 camp and continue offering transformative arts education experiences throughout the year, your support remains crucial. It’s not too late to give—help students success in school, work, and life with a contribution to FirstWorks today:?https://lnkd.in/dG9tt3Q2 Photos courtesy of FirstWorks 2023 Summer Arts Camp staff

FirstWorks Names Nirva R. LaFortune as new Board President “We are thrilled to welcome Nirva as a leader for FirstWorks as we celebrate 20 years of connecting art with audiences in Rhode Island,” said Kathleen Pletcher, FirstWorks Founder and Executive Artistic Director. “Over the past decade, Nirva has been a steadfast advocate for FirstWorks in her role on the Providence City Council—facilitating inspiring moments like a conversation for students and families with Angelique Kidjo at Classical High School, bringing students to performances and community dinners, and eloquently championing the transformative impact of our work. Her lifelong passion for the arts and commitment to elevating our community through education will guide us as we continue our mission to bring extraordinary arts experiences to all Rhode Islanders.” Read the full release on our website: https://lnkd.in/evnVpZwM Nirva R. LaFortune, Executive Director of City Year Providence, is succeeding Catherine Taylor, State Director of AARPRI, as FirstWorks Board President. Thank you to Catherine for your visionary leadership!

FirstWorks’ 20th anniversary shines! From powerhouse performances to meaningful learning experiences to citywide festivals—what an incredible year it’s been! Interested in learning more about FirstWorks' impact? Read our 2023-2024 Annual Report to explore our milestones and the work we’re doing to connect art with audiences. https://lnkd.in/ebBuNyXR

A warm thank you to everyone who bundled up and turned out for Three Nights of Lights last weekend! We had a blast with everyone who came to create music and art with us at MASARY Studios' interactive Sound Sculpture. Congrats to our fellow Three Nights of Lights partners GoProvidence, WaterFire Providence, Providence Art Culture Tourism and The Avenue Concept for another glowing, exciting and fun program this year to bring us all together Downtown to enhance our community during holiday season. Photos by Erin X. Smithers

FirstWorks is thrilled to announce a matching grant toward expanding our Arts Education program with a free, multiweek Summer Camp for youth. Donations to the camp (up to $20,000) will be matched by an Anonymous Foundation through December 31, 2024. What makes FirstWorks' Summer Camp model unique? ?? Free tuition for families, serving up to 50 youth ?? A captivating combination of resident and visiting artists ??? Field trips to cultural venues around the state You can double your impact on this #GivingTuesday and consider a gift to provide arts access to students all year long! bit.ly/DonateFW2024 Pictured: Snapshots from FirstWorks Summer Camp pilot programs. One student participant's reflection on the experience: “I learned about not only expressing myself, but embracing myself into my art."