Education

MENTORSHIP & CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The vitality of today’s artistic community depends upon artists’ abilities to be exceptional creators, but also savvy entrepreneurs, managers, collaborators, and communicators. In its inaugural season NS is pleased to offer several programs geared towards preparing artists for enriching, well rounded, sustainable careers.

Summer Labs–

After a successful August Labs inaugural season in 2016, National Sawdust is pleased to extend the residency period and rename our residency SUMMER LABS. We are looking for local New York based artists that focus on music based works including dance, multimedia and theatrical project, who need space to develop their project and who can commit to a showcase performance of at least 15 minutes of work for a public audience. In return, NS will be able to offer in-kind support limited to 10-5 pm on Tuesday, 10-12 pm on Wed-Friday, with one showcase performance following residency period. Any projects that require additional time or cannot work within these hours should not apply. National Sawdust does not provide any artist fees or housing/travel expenses for the residency period; however, in-kind contributions range from $1,500-$5,000 and includes a performance opportunity as well as dedicated marketing support and consideration for further development during NS regular season.

NS Internship Program –

NS Internships give undergraduate and graduate students the unique opportunity to support the operations of a brand new nonprofit music venue. On a bi-monthly basis, students shadow different key staff members. The goal of the ten-week internship is to illustrate the expansiveness of arts administration: from fundraising and finances, to marketing and communications, to hospitality and production. Students receive full class credit for participation.

_NEW_KAUFMAN1504020_0042v2v_with+circle+copy — NEW INC
NS is partnering with The New Museum’s NEW INC on Afripedia (November 14 and 15, 2015), a new film/music/discussion series exploring creativity in an evolving Africa. This five-part documentary will reveal the burgeoning art scene in Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya and Angola, giving the featured new generation of creatives who are participating in contemporary culture an unprecedented level of exposure before U.S. audiences. These films are part of a transmedia project that will expand into a global platform for Africa and the African diaspora to inform, connect, follow and showcase their artistic practices.

HIFA Exchange
NS is developing an exchange program with Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), Zimbabwe’s renowned annual festival that showcases the very best of local, regional, and international arts and culture. It was through working with HIFA that Paola Prestini learned of the Zimbabwean vocalist Netsayi – now one of NS’ Artists in Residence. NS will host at least one HIFA artist per year as a Curator or Artist in Residence; in turn, NS will send one or more artists to Zimbabwe to perform and lead workshops at HIFA.

ns-portrait — NS Internship Program
NS Internships will give undergraduates the unique opportunity to support the overall operations of a brand new non-profit music venue. On a bi-monthly basis, the student will shadow different key members of the staff. The goal of the ten-week internship is to illustrate the expansiveness of arts administration: from fundraising and finances, to communications and marketing, to hospitality and production. We will pilot this program in partnership with Stanford University; students will receive full class credit for participation.

Stanford-Roundtable-at-National-Sawdust-278 — The Dennings Next Steps
This monthly series of workshops will nurture recent music graduates into 21st-century artists, entrepreneurs, and administrators. NS Curators, Groups and Artists in Residence, and young artists affiliated with our community partner El Puente (described below) will develop skills including website construction, digital marketing, project management, and building a brand. Led by leaders in the fields of artistic administration, production, and education, sessions will be filmed and streamed online so that aspiring artists and artist managers everywhere can benefit from them.

Youth and Community Engagement

National Sawdust: Education & Community

Educational programs that give young people opportunities to explore their potential for artistic and creative expression are fundamental to NS’ ability to fulfill our mission. The young people we engage through these initiatives today are both the artists and the audiences of tomorrow.

Very Young Composers’ (VYC) Project – The VYC initiative guides children from local public schools in the creation of their own musical works. NS’ teaching artist-composers lead a series of workshops for students, and ultimately student work is performed by a professional ensemble at NS. The VYC’s goals are to build confidence and leadership; cultivate understanding and lifelong appreciation of music; and inspire the composers of tomorrow.

Found Sound Nation (FSN) in Residence – FSN is a collective of musicians and artists who leverage the unique power of creative sound-making to help build strong, just, healthy communities. FSN partners with National Sawdust and Williamsburg’s El Puente Center for Arts and Culture for a variety of collaborative music and audio-video production projects, including philosophy and composition seminars and an electronic music summer program for girls. These projects give voice to underrepresented communities, unlock the creative potential of youth, and bridge cultural and political divides. Found Sound Nation is part of the new music organization Bang on a Can, founded in 1987 by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe.