PRESS RELEASE - April 5, 2007

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PRESS RELEASE - April 7, 2006  - The Center for Emerging Art successfully completed the Prevention through the Arts educational outreach program at Miami Beach Senior High School. Center for Emerging Art received a grant from to produce a “Prevention through the Arts” musical, a peer to peer alcohol and drug prevention program.  The CEA’s Prevention through the Arts educational outreach program works with high school students to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the issues that are related with the use of Alcohol and Drugs. The program encourages prevention in its participants through on-going discussion and dialogue with the Center for Emerging Art’s artists and staff.  The students in Miami Beach Senior High School are learned about the harms of drugs and alcohol use by utilizing art and drama as a form of expression to create their own message from their own or imagined experiences.  “The performance was a great success and the kids were fantastic” commented Ava Rado Ava L. Rado, Center for Emerging Art’s Executive and Artistic Director, who designed and directed the program. "I worked with the students at Beach High and feel the most important elements of this program was that my staff and I allowed the students to be themselves and create a play that carried their own message and not a scripted dialog written by some adult. These kids were wonderful to work with and incorporated what they learned in the alcohol/drug workshops into their art and performance and took direction well. The play evolved around the discussion what could happen when they get together and look back on the who’s made it and who didn’t when they get together at their "10 Year Reunion: Our Stories" and looked back on the past ten years. The play examined the relationships between students and fortunately, it was not about the usually cliché that you see in a play that is suppose to have a 'message' said Ava Rado.

The following are a few of the comments that came back to me from the students who participated in the Prevention through the Arts program:

Diego Herrada, one of the students actors said: This was one of the best experiences I've ever been through. We Had fun, shared some laughs, completely exploded on each other but if a question such as "would you do it again?" arose.. I would answer.." YES"

Nathaly Ossa -Everyone was great, everyone helped out and they were responsible for their parts and they were patient with each other. Everyone treated each other with respect and we had fun. Essential aims in my activity was to make a script/ a story that people can relate to (the S A T skit) the pressures of school and how sometimes it might seem like drugs or alcohol is the only answer but its not. I wanted to bring a real life situation that at the same of being realistic can be some thing people haven’t heard of so they could be entertained and informed at the same time. I believe I was successful and the actors in my skit played the part. I was very happy with the results.

Ryan Martinez - I was an extra for the SAT scene and then I was Tybalt for the drunk driving scene. Both scenes were completely improvised for me in rehearsal as in, there was nothing in the script that said I should do a certain thing. But whatever I ended up doing in practice I did on stage and it worked well. More people are aware of substance abuse I suppose. But things like this have been going on for years so it's no DRAMATIC change. If this were a play in say the early 90's then it'd be a hell of a lot different. But it's in 2006 and everyone who DOES do drugs, do it knowing the full consequence. They simply don't care.

For more information or if you would like to implement the "Prevention through the Arts" at your school/community please call Ava Rado at 305-538-2803

(Photo: Ava Rado with Ungaro Zongoranegyes, Szabo Krisztina, David Andai)

The Center for Emerging Art's International Cultural Exchange with Hungary is an on-going cultural exchange for the past six years of bringing poets and musicians to Miami-Dade County. The cultural exchange builds bridges of understanding between the two countries' artists and community. The primary focus is on bringing distinguished artists from Budapest to Miami to meet with their professional counterparts and to strive for a cultural diverse performance created during the interchange of knowledge and talent. The project is a mutual and reciprocal two-way cultural exchange of artists with different backgrounds and culture who will connect and communicate their roots to the audience in Budapest and Miami. The project will build a wider international audience and will enhance public understanding and appreciation of different cultures. The Educational Outreach part of the program is in collaboration with the VSA arts of Florida as part of their School Collaborations program, whose goals are to provide the opportunity for a professional performer with a disability to visit 5 Florida sites with performances and outreach events for students with and without disabilities, AND to raise public awareness regarding the role of arts in a complete education.

The Center for Emerging Art presents a comprehensive schedule cultural programming of performances, workshops and community outreach projects that promote creativity, and bring artists and the public together to explore new ideas and build bridges of understanding between cultures. Please visit the CEA Website: www.centerforemergingart.org

VSA arts of Florida Founded in 1981, VSA arts of Florida actively promotes arts, disability awareness and education yearly to over one million people with disabilities and their families throughout the state. Each year, VSA arts of Florida works with schools and community groups to offer four main program areas of art and disability exploration: Education Activities, Professional Development, Cultural Access and Public Awareness. These programs open up the world of arts by giving people with disabilities an avenue to express themselves and introducing new ideas into the art world.