Performing arts enhanced thanks to Jamestown Fund

The arts in Jamestown will be enhanced thanks to five grants from the Jamestown Fund for the Performing Arts, a permanent endowment based at The Rhode Island Foundation. The Jamestown Education Foundation, the Jamestown PTO, and Living Literature received support totaling $3,800.

The Jamestown Education Foundation was awarded $2,300 for support of three separate programs. The first program will receive $1,500 to be used for the "Looking at Dance" demonstration performances by the Island Moving Company.

The program, which will benefit Lawn school, is designed to enrich understanding of dance as an art form through demonstration and participation. The second program will receive $300 to be used to fund eight, one-hour hip-hop dance sessions, taught by dancers from Off the Curb, for Jamestown Lawn school students. The remaining $500 will go towards a creative dance residency program at Melrose school. Members of the Island Moving Company will demonstrate dance and guide students in creative movement.

The Jamestown PTO will use its $1,000 award to bring a 20-piece orchestra from Musica Dolce to Jamestown to perform a concert for elementary and middle school students.

Living Literature will use its $500 award for the "Wherefore Art Thou, Shakespeare?" interactive program. The program, which will benefit Jamestown's seventhgraders, will explore the themes and language of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The Jamestown Fund for the Performing Arts at The Rhode Island Foundation was established in 1983 to support performing arts in Jamestown. The fund was created from the remaining funds of Jamestown Theater, Inc., which included proceeds from the sale of the local theater building.

The fund will seek applications again in autumn, 2007.