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Arts

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Arts is part of the Child Services / PAL Arts program.

The PAL Arts Conservatory Program is a high-impact learning experience that provides children with sequential arts instruction from professional Artist-Mentors. This breakthrough project helps children discover creative ways of expressing themselves using performing and visual arts. The children will select from music, poetry, dance or drama and work diligently to become an integral part of a performing ensemble. For students interested in visual arts, instruction will be given in painting, drawing, dance, photography or ceramics.

Professional performing and visual artists will come together as “Artist-Mentors” on Saturday mornings at selected PAL youth centers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. They work with 5th-8th graders, build esteem, forging relationships and providing actual ongoing models of success while teaching their art. The Arts Conservatory Program creates a safe, nurturing and positive environment that enables girls and boys to express themselves freely, learn problem solving tools and team building skills. At performances, the children demonstrate their talents with an energetic and collaborative spirit. All children, regardless of discipline, are taught basic fundamental skills, such as understanding terminology, techniques and processes.

PAL’s annual Poetry Jam was created to emphasize the importance and impact of literature, provide recognition of children’s talents, stimulate creativity and teach the writing process.

Each child’s poem is submitted to a panel of professional judges comprised of editors, writers and publishers. The winning poems are published in the PAL Poetry Jam anthology, a professional publication given to all participants and finalists are invited to perform at the annual POets CAFé, emceed by the poet workshop leaders. The children share the stage and their poetry in a celebratory slam performance before a large crowd of 150 supporters, including parents, siblings and school friends. All finalists are awarded prize packets including journals, books, T-shirts and tickets to cultural events.