kupe needs a new home - tdsb & kupe partnership

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PRESS KIT

KUPE NEEDSA NEW HOME


BRIEF OVERVIEW OF KUPE ARTS SOCIETY

KUPE {Kids Understand Practically Everything} Arts Society was founded in 2009 to develop and administer arts programs to the kids of Toronto.

Outside The Box Youth Music Program {OTB} is the first initiative started by the group. OTB is a FREE music education program provided to children between the ages of 7 to 13 in the Parkdale area of Toronto.

The OTB program is designed to inspire youth and provide opportunity to kids who would normally have no access to musical instruments or lessons due to social and or economic barriers.

We rely on a staff of volunteer teachers, primarily local musicians who are actively recording and/or touring, to administer the curriculum that is taught using contemporary music written and/or performed by Canadian artists.


WHY KUPE NEEDS A NEW HOME?We have been very fortunate to be able to use the space (3-4 rooms) at Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre in Parkdale

for the past 2 years. (pictured to the right)

The centre has been accessible to the youth in the community we serve and provided the much needed segmented space that is necessary to run our program.

So, why do we need a new home?

To expand the program to offer our services beyond the present 8 week program

To engage more youth in the community using the arts

To allow for other city programs to function in the space at Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre


SOLUTION: TDSB & KUPE PARTNERSHIP PILOT PROGRAM

+ Parkdale

Collegiate Institute –

Jameson Ave.

Parkdale

Junior & Senior Public School –

Seaforth

Ave.

The TDSB could host KUPE’s

Music program at one of their schools in the neighborhood, either at Parkdale

Collegiate Institute and / or Parkdale

Junior & Senior Public School.


WHY A PARTNERSHIP MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY

Our program engages some of the most ‘at-risk’ and often underserved students in the school system.

A core value of our program is mentorship and connecting young people with supportive, caring adults in the community. A TDSB partnership would compliment the Student Success and Transitions initiatives at local schools.

Kids are able to continue to build much needed arts skill sets that we believe positively impacts other phases of their development and awakens their multiple intelligences.

Schools are seen as safe environments by parents. By being hosted in a school, we could engage with students whose parents wouldn’t normally allow them to engage in activities outside of school because of their cultural values and beliefs.

If we were hosted at Parkdale C.I., it would have benefits directly related to Transitions because students would already feel connected, comfortable and cared for in a high school setting.


WHY A PARTNERSHIP MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY cont’d

KUPE gets a safe operating environment from which to run programming TDSB has an opportunity to associate with a true community grass roots program.

We would be willing to explore how to compliment ESP programs in schools using music as a way to build positive youth-police relationships.

Because our curriculum focuses on teaching music using Canadian songs performed and or written by Canadian artists we give newcomers the opportunity to experience Canadian culture.

Our teachers, all of whom are volunteers, are excited about the ways in which they can contribute to the classroom directly. For example, we can help schools connect with local musicians and provide some support with special event planning and promotion.

KUPE can continue to make a difference in the lives of young people in the community of Parkdale.


PRESS KITABOUT KUPE ARTS SOCIETY


ABOUT KUPE ARTS SOCIETYKUPE {Kids Understand Practically Everything} Arts Society was founded in 2009 to develop and administer arts programs for the kids of Toronto. Outside The Box Youth Music Program {OTB} is the first initiative started by the group. OTB is a

FREE music education program provided to children between the ages of 7 to 13 in Toronto. OTB

was created as a direct response to the

decreased availability

of music programming in the Toronto

public school system. The OTB program is designed to inspire youth and provide opportunity to kids who

would normally have no access to musical instruments or lessons due to

social and or economic barriers.

OTB gives kids a chance to experience

first hand,

how to play an instrument, sing, write and explore

music

with local musicians in the Canadian music industry. The program begins with a focus on musical instrument etiquette,

rudiments of playing and songwriting. OTB believes that exploring songwriting and practical use is a

more effective method

to teaching music theory. With this approach we aspire to make the lessons as fun and

as

captivating as possible for the kids. This program is unique because it utilizes the expertise and experience of studied, active and seasoned musicians to teach classes, so kids

have the opportunity learn first-hand about the music industry.

The program enlists local musicians such a Morning Electric, Mike Celia, Amber Ladd, Macro Fiesta, DJ EfSharp, Bent By Elephants (Alex Whyte), The Subnodes

(Ekow Nimako), Adam Faux, James Robinson, Christopher Morgan, Maiko Watson, YES YES

YA’LL (local hip hop event promoters) among others,

to teach the classes and volunteer.


HISTORY OF KUPE’s

OUTSIDE THE BOX MUSIC PROGRAMIn the Fall of 2008,

OTB was created

when Sway -

a Toronto-based musician, entertainer, journalist, media host and public servant and a few friends -

developed this successful

curriculum and began promoting the first semester of the

program to local schools in the Parkdale region of Toronto. The response was

overwhelmingly positive and

immediate. With 30 kids signing up within only a few days and after enlisting the help of other local musicians to serve as teachers,

the first

wave of graduates from

the Outside The Box

Music Program began

their learning experience. The first semester's curriculum was based on Feist's

"1,2,3,4". The song was taken apart by

each

instrument and used as a guideline to teach chords, notes and scales. At the end of the program, the kids created a recording of the song -

Click

here

to access the OTB MySpace page to hear their

work of art. It's really

inspiring!!!

In the Spring of 2009,

the second

semester

of the program was started

and was

sadly

put in jeopardy due to the

Toronto

civil workers strike that took

place at that time.

The strike

prevented Parkdale’s

Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre from opening and thus the OTB

program was put on hold.

In Fall 2009, Outside The Box program registered another 48 students.

The students who participated in the first two installments learned the song "February Air"

by

the singer

Lights

and the kids that returned for their second round learned a slightly more challenging song, "Gimme

Sympathy",

by

the band

Metric, both groups recorded at the end of the semester.

As of June 3rd, 2010, KUPE Arts Society will have presented another successful

semester of OTB to 45 kids in the Parkdale community. This year’s songs were K’Naan’s

Wavin’

Flag and Bedouin Soundclash’s

Walls Fall Down.

With necessary funding, Outside The Box will continue to grow and serve other communities. OTB will soon have sister programs offering visual art and photography. This program deserves to grow and KUPE Arts Society is working to make that happen.

http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.popupplayer&sindex=-1.0&shuffle=false&amix=false&pmix=false&plid=34906&artid=11491396&profid=408792733&friendid=408792733&sseed=0&ptype=3&stime=0&ap=1&rpeat=false


PRESS COVERAGE

http://torontoist.com/2010/06/yes_they_knaan.php#more

Marcus (age thirteen) is the first student who bounds over to us when we pay OTB a visit on recording day. He's a classic drummer type—he bangs on

everything—and is very excited when he learns he's going to be on the internet. (He wants everyone to know that if they try really hard, one day they might be on the internet too.) When we ask him why OTB is important he

pauses for a moment to focus: "Because if you're at home and you don't start doing homework, you'll just...be a couch potato." …

…Estelle is visibly moved when talking about OTB and what it means for her kids. She praises the program's spirit, its non-competitive atmosphere, and its openness to kids of many ages, backgrounds, and levels of musical confidence. After we're finished our interview, she comes back in to say one last thing. "It's about community, it's about opening up a new aspect of life to the kids."

http://torontoist.com/2010/06/yes_they_knaan.php#more


PRESS COVERAGE

http://www.eyeweekly.com/torontonotes/article/47700

“Attendance by the program's participants has been almost perfect, and some of the kids arrive hours before the lessons begin. Says Sway, “The kids have been ecstatic for [it].”

Parents and children are often anxious to stay involved, but the program caps participation at two semesters. “This is not a

Royal Conservatory

sort of thing. We want to provide that introduction, and really spark that creative interest, for them to say, 'I want to be a drummer' or 'I want to be in arts.' But moving forward, who knows?”

While most high schools provide instruments to their students, the old-saw of “slashed arts funding”

has put many elementary school music programs at the kind of disadvantage that begs for programs and resources like this one.

”

http://www.eyeweekly.com/torontonotes/article/47700


PRESS COVERAGE

http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=127&csid2=844&fid1=34952

“With arts groups now

minus millions of dollars in federal funding, it’s getting harder and harder for Canadian kids to get a shot at a bright musical future. Yet funding or no funding, a new youth music workshop is hoping to change all that. Dubbed Outside the Box, the recently launched program is now offering kids between seven and 13 free music classes in Toronto and is hoping to go national by 2010.

”

http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=127&csid2=844&fid1=34952


PRESS COVERAGE

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/Work/article/125768

“When mom works two jobs and dad is never around, what’s a kid to do? This was the question hip-hop artist Sway faced as a child growing up in Toronto’s Malvern suburb. But, when he picked up a guitar, he says it completely changed his life.

Now, he’s hoping to help inspire kids do the same, keeping them off the street and filling a void left by music classes in schools.

“If I can get a kid off the street for an hour or two a week, at least it’s an hour when they’re going to be putting their mind to something productive,”

he says. ”

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/Work/article/125768


TEAM BIOSSWAY –

Founder, President of KUPE Arts SocietyOTB was conceived by Sway in an attempt to provide children with

an opportunity to learn music and engage in social activity. The need for a free social program was obvious and the relief that it provided parents in addition to the exciting learning process provided for the kids has become a reality. Sway continues to see bigger things for Outside The Box and is currently building opportunities that may allow this program to be offered nationally in 2010.

Sway is a musician, entertainer, journalist, host and public servant. He has that star-powered charisma that is often described as "it" and remains distinct among the generation of new

multitalented, multi-media personalities. His passion and dedication to the program will continue to fuel the people around him as OTB and KUPE Arts continue to grow.

JAREL COCKBURN –

Founder, Treasurer of KUPE Arts SocietyPartner at a financial advisory firm and a native of Toronto, Jarel serves as Communications Manager and Treasurer for KUPE Arts

Society, the non-profit that provides the Outside the Box program. Jarel brings over 10 years of financial and corporate development and strategic experience to the organization.

Jarel joined the OTB team early in 2009 to assist in the development of the Outside the Box program and build out the entity around the program –

KUPE Arts. Jarel works closely with Brent and Sway on the organization and strategic matters for the organization.

ALICIA MATHLIN –

Communications Director of KUPE Arts SocietyAlicia serves as Communications Director for KUPE Arts Society {KUPE}. Alicia brings over 10 years of sales and marketing experience to the organization. Alicia joined the KUPE team in 2009 to assist in the development and marketing of the non-profit organization and its flagship program Outside The Box. Alicia is responsible for all communications and along with Sway, is the liaison for the organization to media and the public.

EKOW NIMAKO –

Operations Manager of KUPE Arts SocietyAside from being the Operations Manager and drum instructor for KUPE’s

Outside The Box program, Ekow Nimako is also the lead emcee in the progressive hip-hop band The Subnodes. He spends his days as a full-time student at York University, pursuing a BFA Honors degree in

Visual Arts and specializes in drawing and sculpture.


KUPE’S OUTSIDE THE BOX CHEAT SHEETABOUT OUTSIDE THE BOX: A program provided for free to children ages 7-13. Hosted at the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre in

Parkdale Toronto.

MISSION: To improve opportunity for children to connect with music and art in their education, communities and homes and to connect professional artists with children in an effort to make musical education enjoyable.

VENUE: Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre in Parkdale

# OF KIDS PARTICIPATED: 140+

SEMESTERS : Spring (April to June) and Fall (October to December)

LENGTH OF SEMESTER: 8 weeks

ARTISTS INVOLVED: Feist, Metric, Lights, Treasa

Levasseur, Morning Electric, The Carps, Mike Celia, Macro Fiesta and more

TEAM : Sway, Jarel Cockburn, Alicia Mathlin, Ekow Nimako

WEBSITES: http://www.kupearts.org

CONTACT INFORMATION: [email protected]

http://kupearts.org/

mailto:[email protected]

kupe needs a new home - tdsb & kupe partnership

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