Arts Spotlight: The Nutcracker, Forward Journey benefit from DE Division of the Arts grants

Welcome to Arts Spotlight, highlighting arts- and community-based organizations and their programs and projects funded by the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Yes, we know The Nutcracker ran last month, but the grant information still applies. We’ll be more timely in the future.

The Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts fund Division of the Arts grants.

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Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance
The Nutcracker
Wilmington
General Operating Support

Brazilian ballet artist Ingrid Silva of the iconic Dance Theatre of Harlem returned to Wilmington with fellow countryman and company partner Luis Fernando to star as The Sugar Plum Fairy and Nutcracker Prince in the Wilmington Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker. The production is the longest continuing professional production in the state, running since 1967 at The Playhouse on Rodney Square, with a full professional orchestra. The Nutcracker played The Playhouse on Rodney Square December 13th – 15th, 2024.

The Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to excellence in arts education & performance. Intentional and steadfast in expanding the artistic capacity of its students and community, the organization provides career-centered, multidisciplinary, multicultural arts education to youth and adults in the local and surrounding regions.

The Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance provides career-centered arts education to a diverse intergenerational roster of aspiring artists and lifelong students of the arts. With a strong foundation in Classical Ballet, The Academy of Dance is unlimited in its offering of high-quality, comprehensive instruction in Modern, Contemporary, Tap, and Jazz dance genres, as well as cultural and folk dances from around the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.wilmingtonballet.org/

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Forward Journey Adult Day Services
Go Tell It!
New Castle and Smyrna
Project Support

Forward Journey Adult Day Services was established in 2006 in response to a significant gap in support for individuals with severe disabilities after they aged out of the public school system at twenty-two. This program was initiated by proactive parents who recognized the potential loss of skills and opportunities for their adult children with multiple severe disabilities. They collaborated with educators, community organizers, and legislators to create a program that would provide essential services and enhance the quality of life for these individuals.

The day habilitation programming offered by Forward Journey is designed with a person-centered approach, which means that the needs and preferences of each individual are prioritized. This approach not only promotes independence but also empowers participants to engage in activities that are meaningful to them. For caregivers, the program provides a much-needed respite from the demanding responsibilities of caregiving, allowing them to recharge and maintain their well-being.

Our attendees exhibit the following characteristics:

• Non-Verbal Communication – Use a means other than verbal speech.
• Non-ambulatory – Not able to walk without assistance. None of our participants walk independently.
• Personal care – All need moderate to complete aid with toileting, eating, and other activities of daily living.
• Medically fragile – Almost all have a seizure disorder. Many use feeding tubes, some have tracheotomies, etc.
• Multiple severe physical challenges – Spends the majority to all of their time in a wheelchair due to severe genetic and neurodegenerative diseases.
• Moderate to severe intellectual disabilities – All have this diagnosis.
• Lifesaving seizure rescue medication – Necessary for most participants.

To learn more, visit: www.forwardjourney.org

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The projects above are supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes these and other Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

The Division offers a variety of grant programs for individual artists; nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations chartered and based in Delaware; and schools and government entities that support arts activities. View a full list of Division grants on the Grants Overview page.

This post was originally published on this site