Any Given Child: ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s Vision for Creative Learning; Students Display Power of Creative Learning in Community Built on Ideas and Innovation

ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Texas—The ÁùºÏ±¦µä, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the City of ÁùºÏ±¦µä and MINDPOP are coming together to launch a city-wide vision for creative learning in ÁùºÏ±¦µä, a city whose identity and economy are built on ideas and innovation.

Who: Vice President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Darrell Ayers; Mayor Lee Leffingwell; and ÁùºÏ±¦µä Superintendent Meria Carstarphen.

What: The Any Given Child partners will review the results of a year-long study on arts education. The community celebration features Brentwood Elementary School students, who will use a shadow play to illustrate how their teacher brings the arts into their classroom; and mariachi players from Bedicheck Middle School. Actors also will perform a scene from Mariachi Girl, which is a co-production of Teatro Vivo and ZACH Theatre in partnership with the University of Texas at ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

When: Wednesday, Oct. 24

Background: The Any Given Child initiative is an unprecedented partnership in arts education among community arts organizations, the school district and the City of ÁùºÏ±¦µä. It is designed to provide all ÁùºÏ±¦µä students with the opportunity to attend arts-rich schools and to ensure every child benefits from learning in a creative classroom.

Strengthening arts education and creative learning for all students is vitally important to maintaining ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s strong creative community and economy. The creative sector generates more than $4.35 billion in economic activity, more than $71 million in city tax revenues and almost 49,000 jobs.

ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s creative sector employment has risen by about 25 percent during the past 5 years, a pace more rapid that the 10 percent growth of the local economy as a whole, according to a City of ÁùºÏ±¦µä report released earlier this year.