APSU Community School of the Arts offers low-pressure learning
(Posted Aug. 31, 2018)
The Community School of the Arts at Austin Peay State University spans all age groups and skill levels, and the offerings continue to grow.
鈥淲e鈥檙e offering classes for everyone, from little kids to adults, beginner to intermediate to advanced. Our goal, our mission is really being put into practice,鈥 said Dr. Janice Crews, director of APSU Center for Excellence of the Creative Arts (CECA), which runs the school. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really neat to see everybody following the same creative process or doing the same techniques even though somebody is 13 and somebody is 65.鈥
Now is your chance to sign up for the next set of art, music, dance, theater and writing classes that begins Sept. 10. Registration is underway at www.apsu.edu/ceca/csa.
This is the video the school released before spring classes earlier this year:
Crews has two goals for the school: Elevate understanding of the arts and offer a low-pressure environment to learn.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I think the Community School is so important,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e need that introductory part, so people can really appreciate what they鈥檙e seeing. Also, what we do is not performance-driven or product-driven. It鈥檚 more about the learning process.鈥
The 12-week dance classes, for example, don鈥檛 have public performances at the end.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not the goal of those classes,鈥 Crews said. 鈥淭he goal is to learn and to appreciate and to experience, not to drive toward a performance.鈥
鈥淚 just got an email from somebody who said, 鈥業鈥檓 about to get out of the military, and I鈥檓 just looking to take some classes, something fun to keep me occupied,鈥欌 Crews said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to take acting and improvisation.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we like to see is people stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new, that keeps your brain engaged and keeps your creativity going.鈥
Another story Crews shared involves Nashville artist Tim Pafford, who regularly teaches the school鈥檚 mixed media painting class.
鈥淗e had a student in there who is on the autism spectrum who has really flourished in that class,鈥 Crews said. 鈥淭he parent has said over and over how amazing it is that she can draw and do all these things that she just picked up on. It鈥檚 tapping that side of her that they didn鈥檛 know was there.鈥
The Community School of the Arts is offering more than 20 classes this fall for all ages and skill levels. Click the button below to learn more.
Crews is trying to reach as many people as possible by having daytime classes to serve homeschoolers and night classes for public school students and adults. Classes are clustered, allowing siblings to attend different classes at the same times.
New this school year: Choir classes open to the public and more classes for homeschoolers.
More than 300 people participated in about 50 Community School of the Arts (CSA) classes during the last 12 months, Crews said. Some classes are cozy, such as writing classes with three students, and other classes are busier, as with the choir and its 15-20 students.