special events
festival 2010 special events...
Saturday, September 25
Providence Performing Arts Center Sunday, October 24 LUPO's Heartbreak Hotel and Local 121 Speakeasy Catch a Pint with Conor Lovett Friday, October 29 Wild Colonial Autographed copy of "Out of My Hands" CD Saturday, October 30 RISD Auditorium Saturday, November 13 VMA recent events... Free Summer Lunchtime Concert Series: Rising Stars of FirstWorks at Washington Trust July 2010 WASHINGTON TRUST DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE BRANCH Performances by: Damhsa Irish Dance Studio The Rhode Island Kung Fu Club Harker: A look inside the short film Sunday, May 2, 2010 Rhode Island School of Design Fashioned in homage to the silent classics of German Expressionist film, “Harker” tells the story of hero Jonathan Harker’s encounter with the vampire Nosferatu, a re-animated corpse that compels others to do its will through a malevolent psychic influence. The new comic book reveals artist Scott Shoemaker’s original storyboard illustrations for the film and captures a rare, behind the scenes look into the creative process.
Scott Shoemaker and puppeteers Scott and James Silson will attend the screening and the Silson twins will engage audience members in a hands-on workshop using puppets and props from the film. To celebrate the comic book launch, all audience members will receive a FREE copy of “Harker: A look inside the short film”.
FREE and open to the public. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
event highlights 09-10 Film screening with Heather Henson April 19, 2010 Rhode Island School of Design
View photo highlights in the FirstWorks online gallery.
Michael Moschen March 13, 2010 Veterans Memorial Auditorium (VMA Arts and Cultural Center)
Watch videos of Moschen in motion in the FirstWorks video gallery.
FirstWorks Festival 2009 September 24 - November 15, 2009 PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND View photo highlights from our seven-week festival in the FirstWorks photo gallery. Presented in collaboration with the City of Providence's Dept. of Art, Culture + Tourism. Summer Lunchtime Concert Series: Rising Stars of FirstWorks at Washington Trust July - August, 2009 WASHINGTON TRUST DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE BRANCH Performances by: Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School Youth Jazz Combo, Voces de los Andes, JUMP!, Ocean State Children's Choir, and Masti. Angkor Dance Troupe June 7, 2009 RISD MUSEUM - CHACE CENTER, MICHAEL P. METCALF AUDITORIUM "Dancing Silks" Pre-show presentation RISD MUSEUM - CHACE CENTER, MICHAEL P. METCALF AUDITORIUM View photo highlights in the FirstWorks online gallery Heather Henson's "Handmade Puppet Dreams Vol. I" Film screening and artist appearance RISD MUSEUM - CHACE CENTER - MICHAEL P. METCALF AUDITORIUM View photo highlights in the FirstWorks online gallery Presented in collaboration with the Rhode Island School of Design's Office of Student Life. The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma March 6, 2009 U.S. Tour Premiere Performance - Providence Performing Arts Center Watch video highlights from our Season of the Silk Road First Course with FirstWorks March 1- March 6, 2009 Experience local flavor! Illustrious Providence restaurants celebrated FirstWorks’ “Season of the Silk Road” with a tantalizing offer: from Sunday, March 1st through Friday, March 6th, enjoy a complimentary appetizer with the purchase of any regular dinner entrée. The Silk Road Celebration post-performance party
Join us as for the FirstWorks Festival Kickoff on September 25th in the majestic lobby of PPAC. Following the performance by the incomparable Pilobolus, sample small bites and sweet treats from Rhode Island's finest restaurants, as you mingle with the dancers and FirstWorks supporters who are helping to transform Providence through the arts.
Get ready to salsa - the real way! Join us for a pre-show salsa lesson in the front lobby of Lupos, and get ready to feel the powerful Latin beats of salsa dura with La Excelencia, in concert on October 24th. Suggested donation of $5 at the door. Then come with us to the post-show dance party downstairs at the Local 121 Speakeasy, and dance your way through this salsa-infused evening. Reserve your spot at the after party, buy your ticket today!
Ever wanted to drink a pint after the show with an actor who has just changed your mind about the world - or at least about the world according to Samuel Beckett? This is your chance to ask those burning questions or simply sit back and enjoy your Guinness with actor Conor Lovett, following the performance at the RISD Museum's Chace Center.
Meet NPR host Christopher O'Riley and receive an autographed CD (value of $24).
Renowned a cappella performers of Sweet Honey In The Rock will join a small group in the lobby of VMA Arts and Culture Center for the FirstWorks Festival Finale, an intimate evening of champagne and celebration, following Sweet Honey's performance. Rhode Island's best restaurants will be on hand with delicious snacks, as you mingle with the performers and fellow advocates of "firsts" the arts.
At the intersection of Westminster and Orange Streets [map]
Representing FirstWorks and Washington Trust’s shared commitment to community and artistic excellence, this three-week series spotlights the diverse talents of our region’s most inspiring young performers.
Voces de los Andes
July 15th, 12:00 noon
Voces de los Andes celebrates the rich musical tradition of Bolivia and the Andean region of South America and will feature the haunting and evocative sound of the panpipes. The family ensemble of musicians is led by Bolivian master "charango" player and singer Silvio Cuellar and includes five children between the ages of 10 and 17.
July 22nd, 12:00 noon
Damhsa Irish Dance Studio will perform a variety of Irish dances, with both modern and traditional choreography on July 22nd. Named after the Irish word for dance, the group was founded with the mission of giving children the opportunity to express their interest in Irish Dancing and Irish culture.
July 29th, 12:00 noon
The Rhode Island Kung Fu Club will perform the lion dance, a traditional cultural practice that combines kung fu-inspired movement by two practitioners as the “lion” with accompanying percussion music. The art symbolically represents the fostering of positive energy and good luck while warding away negative energy.
FREE comic book launch and film screening
Chace Center - Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium
20 North Main Street, Providence [map]
FirstWorks presents a FREE screening of the film short “Harker” and the world premiere launch of its new companion comic book “Harker: A look inside the short film”. The event is part of FirstWorks’ annual screening of cutting-edge puppet film shorts curated by Heather Henson, daughter of beloved puppetry pioneer Jim Henson.
Handmade Puppet Dreams Volume IV
and Yamasong
Chace Center - Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium
20 North Main Street, Providence [map]
FirstWorks invites you to experience the freshest, funniest and most off-the-wall selections from the magical world of puppet film shorts! Introduced by series curator Heather Henson, daughter of beloved puppet film pioneer Jim Henson.
Special guest artist Sam Koji Hale joined Henson for our annual insider's peek into the best of cutting-edge puppet films. In a special, artist-up-close presentation, Hale unveiled his new short film "Yamasong", which was produced by Henson as a music video for the L.A. based percussion group On Ensemble.
illusions in motion
1 Avenue for the Arts, Providence, R.I. [click for map]
One of the world's most visionary performing artists, Michael Moschen, the "juggler without compare" has revolutionized an ancient circus art, transforming it into a mesmerizing form of theatre. Be there as this master of illusion and MacArthur Genius Fellow wields the power of physics, math and art for an unforgettable performance experience.
In its sixth year, the 2009 FirstWorks Festival celebrated: icons of music & the moving image, the cultural legacy of American masters, cutting edge digital arts and more. Audience members and students from communities from across the region engaged in exciting performances, "Artist-Up-Close" Q&A sessions, and arts learning workshops.
Representing FirstWorks and Washington Trust’s shared commitment to community and artistic excellence, this five-week series spotlights the diverse talents of our region’s most inspiring young performers, including vocalists, dancers and musicians.
The nationally acclaimed Angkor Dance Troupe leads audiences on a visually stunning journey through the sights and sounds of ancient Cambodia. In the hands of young dancers, coconuts and fishing nets bring to life the lively rhythms of the countryside.
Families will thrill to the splendor of mischievous mermaids and monkeys meeting onstage in colorful epic pursuit.
Join us before the Ankgor Dance Troupe performance for a closer look at the ancient costumes and characters of Cambodian dance. A panel of cultural experts will present "Dancing Silks," an exploration of the fabrics, fashions and archetypal figures that propelled these riveting stories through centuries of live performance.
April 27, 2009
From the humorous to the horrifying, this zany collection of film shorts showcases the rising stars of cutting-edge puppetry. As part of our year-round programming, FirstWorks welcomes RISD alums Heather Henson and Emmy nominated puppet designer Paul Andrejco for an Artist-Up-Close screening of “Handmade Puppet Dreams, Vol. I”.
Daughter of the beloved puppetry pioneer Jim Henson, Heather introduces a new generation of puppeteers through her handpicked series of independently produced film shorts, exploring unique approaches to animation through a spectrum of puppetry styles.
Legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his brilliant Silk Road Ensemble launch their U.S. tour in Providence with an unforgettable evening of music-making. Hailed as a modern Marco Polo, Ma unites artists from regions of the ancient Asia-Europe trade route known as the Silk Road to create musical experiences which have delighted audiences around the world. Together with Ma, these powerful Silk Road musicians set off on a cross-cultural journey to reach the heart of understanding.
Participating restaurants included: Aspire, CAV, Costantino’s, Local 121, Rue de L’Espoir, Temple Downtown.
March 6, 2009
Co-hosted by the Honorable David N. Cicilline, Mayor of Providence, Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director, FirstWorks.
