The Muse Machine will be able to expand its arts-integrated residency program during the 2023-24 academic year thanks to a Rosenthal Foundation grant in the amount of $19,400. The expansion will include 4 Dayton Public Schools with a focus on PreK through Grade 2. The schools that have asked to be included are Belle Haven Elementary, Charity Adams Early Girls Academy, the International School at Residence Park, and Ruskin Elementary. Teacher-Artist Beth Wright will work with the classroom teachers to provide in-classroom experiences that address the residency’s educational goals. These four residencies will culminate in a performance by the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is planning a tour to twelve American Cities – the tour entitled Black Tour that will span a three-year period. The tour seeks to illuminate the Black experience through visual art and dance focusing on the civil rights movement. The cities selected for this tour were required to have a civil rights museum, a performing arts center, and a local Historically Black College and University. The visual arts exhibition that will accompany the tour will feature the work of Black Artists and will be curated by well-known Dayton artist Bing Davis. The Foundation grant award in the amount of $45,000 will help cover costs associated with the preparatory year of the tour as well as the premier performance of the tour dance program that will take place at the Victoria Theatre in February 2023.

Photo credit: Tom Patterson

For a decade, the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (formerly the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra) has administered a highly successful Q The Music Program in East Dayton – providing students a deeply immersive experience learning a musical instrument and opening a clear path to a college education. This program is centered at Ruskin Elementary School. The Foundation has approved a grant in the amount of $100,000 to enable DPAA to establish a similar program in Northwest Dayton. This daily, tuition-free, after school orchestra program will be centered at E.J. Brown Middle School and will focus on 12-14 year old youths. This school has extensive educational challenges: only 17% of students reach State reading goals; 12% reach math goals; and, 13% reach science goals. Q The Music seeks to improve academic achievement and better attendance, and model the core values of respect, responsibility and teamwork. On the music side, the instructors work on four categories of learning objectives: instrument playing technique, ensemble skills, theory and musicianship, and, logic and reasoning. Current plans are to launch the new program in January 2023. The Foundation’s support will cover the first two years of the program.

A $25,000 grant to the Human Race Theatre Company will help underwrite their re-emerging engagement program entitled Engage Onstage. The overall program has three primary components: engagement with Daybreak, 1Fifteen, and Military Vet Programs providing opportunities for program participants to attend performances, learn about theatre, build additional skills of empathy and listening, and provide an opportunity to tell their stories; a renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion in programming, audience development, staff and board recruitment, and to participation of families; and, a commitment to people with special needs. Three productions of the 2022-23 Human Race season will provide the primary focus for Engage Onstage. The 2022-23 season marks the first season under the direction of the new Artistic Director, Emily N. Well