The “Perspective Project” is Creative Spark’s newest initiative. 

It capitalizes upon years of experience and success in bringing excellent enrichment programs into schools in Charleston and Berkeley counties. It is also a strategy to offset the effects of the economic crisis by reducing costs for schools through increased cooperative booking  Also, it gives work to the artistic community, one of our most valuable resources.  Encouraged by both Charleston and Berkeley County School District arts coordinators, Creative Spark endeavors to enrich the school curricula…

• By hosting performances of professional touring companies through block booking.  This arrangement, managed by Creative Spark, saves the schools money while giving the performers an efficient schedule. Over one hundred performances will impact audiences of over 50,000.  Special efforts to include economically disadvantaged schools and populations are exemplified by a grant from the Ackermann Foundation that pays the entire cost for Sander’s Clyde School and a grant from Very Special Arts that is currently providing a long term residency for disabled children.
• By hosting short term residencies by teaching artists that bring the cultures of the world to children in one-week intensive experiences, bringing alive the study of social studies, geography and heritage and providing opportunities for students to find their creative voice through hands-on learning with experts in their genre. Each of these experiences serves 100 students comprehensively each week. The Perspective Project will increase the number of these residencies to over 20 locations next school year.    

By contracting with four schools to bring a series of resident artists throughout the school year, providing experiences that teach a wide variety of genre.  The four schools will include 3 downtown Title One elementary schools with almost 100% African American populations and the Charter School  of Math and Science serving a diverse population of high-schoolers. The Charter School piloted this year-long project this year with great success and we are eager to expand it to other schools.

“…54% of our students live in poverty and providing equitable

access to artistic experiences for all of our schools and

students is a constant challenge.  The Perspective Project

has been developed to help address this concern..."

- James Braunreuther arts coordinator for Charleston County Schools."

The timing is right for this project. Next year there will be a much greater number of public schools in Charleston and Berkeley Counties aspiring to be arts infused.  And dwindling funding for arts activities in all the schools.  Creative Spark’s help is needed to affordably bring arts enrichment programs.   Furthermore, an increasing awareness of the efficacy of arts learning and its ability to reach children in long-lasting ways is causing schools to value collaborations like this one more.  For the first time, Charleston County has a school superintendent who has reached out to the artistic community to prompt partnerships like this.  The  Perspective Project is Creative Spark’s answer to Dr. McGinley’s quest.   With the help of pending grants, Creative Spark would be in a position to meet this need. Creative Spark has been a leader bringing quality arts enrichment to schools for sixteen years. 

Goals and outcomes will be based on S.C. State Learning Standards and assessed and measured accordingly.  Furthermore, we seek to bring more fun to learning, help students find their creative voices and bring alive the study of math, science, social studies and literacy through arts infusion.

“…Everyday you are helping enrich our students’ lives by providing enhanced access to and opportunities for participation in the arts.” Dr. McGinley, Charleston County Schools Superintendent."

Planning has already begun and schools are eager to participate.  By the end of May, we will have already distributed the selection of touring programs and resident artists that the schools can choose for next year.  We have begun assembling likely partners.  If funding permits, we will continue to approach schools, market the programs more widely and bring in more performing and teaching artists in the fall.  This effort is initiated and managed by the art center’s director, Carol Antman and outreach coordinator, Inger Brown.  Through many years of experience in doing similar work, they are prepared to grow this program if funding is secured.

“…having the opportunity to attend free performances at Creative Spark affords our students not only immeasurable growth in social development and arts appreciation but provides academic interdisciplinary connections as well.”  Cecelia Rogers, principal Charleston Development Academy."