Dear Friends of East Bay Center,
As this uniquely challenging year draws to a close, we can look back on the last eight months of the pandemic and draw inspiration both from our students, who have continued to devote themselves to the arts and uplift themselves and their families during these uncertain times, as well as Center staff and faculty who have transitioned all of our classes and performances to an online format to keep our community safe and healthy. On that note, we have virtual events coming up at the end of the year at the Center, including the annual production of A Richmond Nutcracker. Visit our events page for more information on how to attend these events virtually, and join us in closing this year with joy and a hopeful eye toward the possibilities that await in the new year. Please note that the Spring session of group classes at the Center will begin on January 25, 2021. We wish you and your family safe and healthy holidays, and look forward to cultivating the power of the arts with you in 2021.
Happy holidays to you and yours,
Staff Members, Faculty Artists, and Board of Directors
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
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Join us at our first virtual Downtown Holiday Festival! |
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While we are unable to be together in person this year, East Bay Center is still holding our annual events in a virtual space. Join us for our final event of the year – the annual Downtown Holiday Festival featuring A Richmond Nutcracker - by clicking on the green button below!
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End-of-Year Holidays at the Center
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There will be no classes/private lessons from Thursday, December 24 through Sunday, January 3, and the Center will be closed (staff will not be working).
- Spring group classes begin January 25, 2021.
- Private lesson & Ensemble rehearsals begin January 4, 2021.
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Giving Tuesday Success + Year-End Giving at the Center
THANK YOU so much to our supporters who donated an amazing $6,800 in last week's Giving Tuesday campaign, kicking off our year-end fundraiser! That covers a semester of classes for 35 students! It's never too late to give and help us provide 80+ virtual group classes free to 600+ local youth as part of our main site programming.
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This year at our annual Soul Endeavor and Sharing the Spirit concerts, our private lesson and group class students showcased their hard work in virtual events attended by over 500 friends and family members! Click on the videos below to see the performances in their entirety. |
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Creative Teaching for Our Youngest Students
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While we continue to provide music, theater, and dance instruction virtually to 3,500 TK-12th grade students, primarily in Richmond’s Southside schools, we have recognized a number of challenges around working with our youngest students ages 4-6. In response, Center Teaching Artists have developed fun and engaging curricula specific to this age group and are providing music classes focusing on singing, rhythm, and, recently, they made their own instruments, which they played in class. In addition, we are exploring ways we might develop content for parents to do at home with their children, curate virtual school assemblies, and provide more training around technology and enhanced distance learning materials for our Teaching Artists.
The overall theme right now is providing fun, joyful, engaging experiences. A number of WCCUSD teachers have shared that they really appreciate the positivity of our Teaching Artists and the ways they are bringing something new and fun to the virtual classrooms.
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East Bay Center is grateful for the support of:
Adobe Community Giving, AmazonSmile, Anonymous Foundation, Anonymous Fund of the East Bay Community Foundation, Anonymous Fund at Vanguard Charitable, Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County, Bandcamp Inc., Beneficial State Bank Foundation, Berklee City Music Network, Louis L. Borick Foundation, California Arts Council, The California Endowment, Mark Cavagnero Associates, Chamberlin Family Foundation, City of Richmond, Clif Bar Family Foundation, Contra Costa County CDBG Program, Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation, S.H. Cowell Foundation, Crankstart, Crescent Porter Hale Foundation, D’Addario Foundation, Dale Fund of the SF Foundation, John Derning Fund of the SF Foundation, Dodge & Cox, ELMA Music Foundation, Equity Community Builders, Farella Braun + Martel LLP, Fenwick Family Foundation, Fullerton Family Foundation of the Marin Community Foundation, GEICO, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, Golden Gate Meats, Bill Graham Foundation of the Jewish Community Federation, Hellman Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ifshin Violin, Interactive Resources, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Kaiser Permanente, Koret Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, Richard & Emily Levin Foundation, Levin Richmond Terminal Corp, Littler Mendelson Foundation, Mechanics Bank, Meyer Sound Laboratories, Moca Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New West Company, Overaa Construction, Pacific Harmony Foundation, Anon Fund of the Peace Development Fund, Quest Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Irene S. Scully Family Fund of the Marin Community Foundation, Sequoia Trust of the San Francisco Foundation, Morris Stulsaft Foundation, Tencue, Travis Credit Union, Wayne & Gladys Valley Foundation, Wareham Development, Wells Fargo Bank, Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, Wolfgang Fund of the East Bay Community Foundation, Zalec Familian & Lilian Levinson Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation Community Arts COVID Response Fund, and Corporate Employee Gift Programs at Adobe, AT&T, Autodesk, Bank of America, Chevron, Clorox, Dolby, GE, Kaiser, LPL Investors, Oracle, PG&E, Semantec, UPS, Wells Fargo, Verisk, Walt Disney and City, State, Federal employees.
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