Strategy: Culture

Cerverii Circus

The Cerverii Circus Collective is a multi-arts performance company structured to bring together the expertise of performance artists in the Pittsburgh area for the purpose of staging inter-art productions. Our goal is to promote understanding and appreciation of interdisciplinary performing arts. Our objectives are to present up to three productions a year and cultivate education in multi-arts programs through workshops, internships and residencies at all levels of learning.

THE UNIQUE NICHE WE FILL:  The public is not often privy to the influences on the personal perspectives and agendas of present-day artists in creating original work in the area. By re-creating historically significant works of the avant-garde, and producing new works in the same vane, we propose to link the works of today to their historical roots. Thus, providing a unique service to the public to educate and contextualize aesthetic response to this kind of artistic work.

A Peace of Mind

A Peace of Mind is a therapeutic art, dance, and fitness studio located at 620 Wood St offering a variety of programming from hip hop aerobics and Zumba®, to yoga and Pilates, all at an affordable community space.  APOM, Inc. will soon offer a 20-hour daycare service for children 6 weeks to 12 years of age.  Their goal is to initiate collaborative community wellness with reasonable, relevant and overall enjoyable programming.  Led by Felicia Robinson, APOM, Inc. encourages community involvement and active participation in our current and future endeavors.

Center for Civic Arts

Center for Civic Arts is led by Jody Guy with a vision to inspire civic engagement through the arts and humanities. They accomplish this by valuing citizens as the creators of culture, and stewards of their environment. CCA expand opportunities for people to connect through arts education, public arts and creative placemaking. Programs include socially engaged art programs, formal and informal arts education programs, public arts, and creative place-making. Civic Arts provides a third civic space catalyzed around the arts, as a place to develop independent thinking, and new perspectives and solutions for communities.

Gizmo’s Dog Bar

Dog-lover Khalil Stanback is building a diverse community for dog parents to unwind in a safe and comfortable environment with their 4-legged friend. Gizmo’s Dog Bar plans to launch in 2018 and plans pop-ups in Wilkinsburg throughout the year.

K-Theatre Dance Complex

K-Theatre Dance Complex or KTDC, is a Pre- Professional Dance Training Program.  KTDC is a dance school that emphasizes Dance Technique, Terminology, Theory and Drama in order to mold strong and captivating performers. We teach the basics of the art form that is dance, to students ages 3-17, thus building strong mental and physical foundations with-in our students. As a result, we expose them to an artistic discipline that will allow them to excel in any profession that they ultimately pursue.

Ignite Culture

A mentoring workshop + pitch competition for projects building community culture

New Sun Rising believes that embracing the unique characteristics and knowledge of people is critical to promoting equitable change in our region. By building awareness of our culture, we can better understand the shared values that lead to trust and resiliency.  

Projects which creatively engage, explore, or express culture within their community are encouraged to register for the Ignite Culture workshop on March 24th. Participants will be eligible for awards (taxable) to start their project. While everyone can apply, we strongly encourage projects from NSR Launch communities (Allentown, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, McKees Rocks, Millvale, Northside, Wilkinsburg) and fiscally-sponsored projects.

Registration is full

What to expect

Ignite Culture propels idea development for businesses, projects, and their leaders through a one day ignite & pitch workshop. Bring your new idea to work through with peers. Those who are interested (up to 10) have the option to enter the pitch competition for $5,000 in total financial awards.

Through a one-page business plan, workshop participants will receive mentoring and a quick primer on pitching your idea. Awarded projects must be completed by November 30th, 2018 and help create community vibrancy.

Vibrancy Funds

New Sun Rising is pleased to announce the Vibrancy Funds, a new funding opportunity to launch organizations and collaborations who build culture, sustainability, and opportunity within their community. Led by the generous support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, the fund will support people who promote innovation, engagement, and equity in the Pittsburgh region.

 

Supported by:

Choolaah Indian BBQ

 

Speak Life Poetry Community

A collective community established for the purpose of being a positive voice through various forms of communication and performance, including spoken word, rap, singing, dance and other artistic expressions. Speak Life Poetry Community brings these elements together to collaborate and unify artistically in order to engage community and break down barriers of race, sex, creed, and religion. They accomplish this through meetings and discussion, writing workshops,  performance workshops, open mics, and national and local slams. More information about the diverse backgrounds and skills of their team can be found on their website.

 

Beata Beatus Healing Intensive Creative Arts Program

The Beata Beatus Healing Intensive Creative Arts Program- HICAP- empowers, educates & engages participants in integrative health & wellness techniques partnered with the creative arts promoting self-sustaining healthy habits. Beata Beatus encourages healing & restoration through the authentic expression of gifts and talents, fostering a positive lifestyle; high self esteem & stress relief in adolescent girls. Our end of the program project  – Encouragement Hour – is created to showcase our participant’s creative handiwork in the form of a song, spoken word piece or art piece, which can be placed on a shirt & sold on our website if desired. 
 
Beata Beatus HICAP is an extension of the Clothing line Beata Beatus where each shirt represents scripture and where we proudly advocate our tag line to Wear It – Live It. Through the Beata Beatus HICAP we are effectively showing girls to not just wear what we produce but to live lives that reflect holistic health, growth & prosperity.
 
Beata Beatus – Origin: Latin. Meaning to be blessed and/or happy.
Pronounced  (f) Bey- Ah- Tah  (m) Bey- Ah -Tos  

Community Forge

Mission of Organization
“To grow an inclusive Community Space dedicated to creating opportunities for Wilkinsburg by supporting small business, promoting learning, contributing to neighborhood wellbeing, and cultivating regional partnerships.”

Brief History of Community Forge
Community Forge was formed in January 2017 with the purpose of revitalizing the recently closed Johnston Elementary School in
Wilkinsburg as a community asset, incubating people, programs, and opportunities in the community. Starting with a partnership between
Pittsburgh Learning Commons and Xpogo, a group of eight young adults with roots in Pittsburgh and backgrounds ranging from Ph.D.
Scientists to Educators to Extreme Sports Athletes purchased the building from the Wilkinsburg school board in July 2017. We have since
brought community members onboard as board members, staff, and volunteers.

Community Forge opened doors in January 2018 and is now home to artists, educators, and entrepreneurs looking to grow their efforts,
run community events, and provide new and unique programs to the Wilkinsburg community. As an organization, we are building programs
and creating inclusive, locally-oriented opportunity geared toward Wilkinsburg residents and the East Pittsburgh region. Our primary focus areas include youth enrichment, community well being, and small business support.

Read more in the Community Forge 2018 Impact Report

Artsmiths of Pittsburgh Art and Cultural Center

The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh Art and Cultural Center will serve the Pittsburgh area, particularly the South Hills, with engaging art education programming including Classes, Exhibits, a Cafe Training Center for persons with intellectual disabilities and a shop selling only locally handmade art.

Garden of Peace

Garden of Peace Project was created to uplift, uphold, and empower the narratives and lived experiences of queer and trans people of color. We exist to create sacred spaces of healing, affirmation, and solidarity through action. We currently have 2 directors and 3 temporary/project-based part-time staff members. We make our decisions through a collaborative process, including our community, board of directors, and leadership team. We just celebrated five years as an organization and we have several ongoing projects, including Trans Voices, VOICES Week, Roots Pride, QTPOC Market, & Livin’ Out Loud.

The Language Access Project

Global Wordsmiths’ Volunteer Initiative, The Language Access Project (LAP), was designed to provide free language translation and interpretation services to local nonprofits (Partner Organizations) working directly with immigrants and refugees. LAP is structured as an internship that provides bilingual university students with comprehensive interpreter training, service learning experience, monitoring and support, mentorship and professional references as well as a stipend or college credit in exchange for volunteer hours. Global Wordsmiths then pairs these trained volunteer interpreters with Partner Organizations at no cost so that these organizations can provide their clients with language interpretation and translation services.

Each intern is required to commit a minimum of five hours per week to LAP during the 23-week cycle. With five interns approved to participate in the fall 2017 pilot program, LAP will provide nearly 1,200 hours of free language services to its Partner Organization for this cycle, Jewish Family and Children’s Services. This represents significant output and provides an invaluable service to clients of JFCS with limited English proficiency, and it serves the Global Wordsmiths’ core mission, which is to improve language access in Western Pennsylvania.