Olivet Boys & Girls Club is proud to announce the opening of the Fall season of Arts Education Classes at their Center for the Arts at 328 Walnut Street in Reading. Thanks to state and local arts grants and generous community sponsorships, Olivet is able to offer Arts Education classes in multiple disciplines to the children of Reading and Berks County, between the ages of 6 and 18, as part of their Olivet Boys & Girls Club membership.
“Olivet, for years, has provided the youth of our community a safe place to learn and experience arts programming in a variety of disciplines. We are tremendously grateful to the men and women who come to the Center for the Arts and our other sites to engage the children in new and innovative educational Arts programs,” said Richard Bradbury, long-time Director of the Center for the Arts at Olivet.
All classes are taught by professional art educators, many of whom make their living as artists and educators. Your child can explore their love of music by studying piano (2 levels), join a singing group, learn how to play guitar (3 levels with lead instructor, guitarist Josh Taylor), or explore the rhythms of Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean in our drumming classes with instructor Michael Clipman. Emerging composers can start creating their own beats and original music in one of our Digital Classes taught by musician Cliff Starkey: Drop Da Beat (GoggleWorks Computer Lab) and Gravity Studios – Olivet’s very own recording studio at our Pendora Club (330 S. 19th Street, Reading).
For dancers, there are several classes taught by professionals featuring multiple styles: Hip-hop, Tap, Beginning Ballet, contemporary-pop, and Salsa.
The young actor may want to explore storytelling and character building in a creative drama class. Teens might want to join our touring ensemble, Berks PRIDE – Olivet’s peer-to-peer, anti-drug, -alcohol, -tobacco, and –violence group!
These teens will travel to local elementary, middle, and high schools in Berks County spreading the good news about “living ABOVE the influence” and making positive LIFE choices. Berks PRIDE is led by Nate Rothermel of Pig Iron Theatre in Philadelphia.
Visual artists, youth and teens, will explore the world of art using many different mediums with artists from the Yocum Institute for Arts Education.
“Olivet would like to thank our Arts partners and grantors for their generosity and for supporting the Arts in downtown Reading – Berks Arts, Berks Community Action Program (BCAP), Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA), Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Reading Musical Foundation, and the Yocum Institute for Arts Education. Olivet is proud to work with these generous and supportive organizations,” said Christopher M Winters, President and CEO, Olivet Boys & Girls Club.
For a complete list of Arts offerings for children ages 6 through 18, visit Olivet’s webpage at www.OlivetBGC.org or call the Center for the Arts site at 610-373-8910 to receive a schedule and application for membership.
Membership to Olivet Boys & Girls Club is $20 per year for each child. Olivet sites are open to all children regardless of their location or financial circumstances. Need-based scholarships are available upon request for underserved families or families with multiple children.
In compliance with state law and the policies of Boys & Girls Club of America, all instructors and staff at Olivet and the Center for the Arts Club have successfully completed multi-level clearances including PA ChildLine, FBI and PA State Police Criminal Record Checks.
