Creative Clay to celebrate 25 years with virtual party

ST. PETERSBURG — Creative Clay is taking to social media platforms Facebook and YouTube to celebrate and commemorate a quarter century of serving adults with neuro-differences, creating access, dispelling stereotypes, and inspiring creativity that deserves to be celebrated.

Because COVID-19 has severely limited in-person events, Creative Clay will present its 25th anniversary celebration Friday, Sept. 25, 7 to 8:30 p.m., on Facebook and YouTube.

The organization invites the Tampa Bay area community, as well as supporters and leaders throughout Florida and the United States, to don their favorite party attire and celebrate from the comfort of their homes. Beverage in hand and dressed in a cocktail dress, tuxedo, suit, or even a cool art T-shirt, guests will virtually celebrate the St. Petersburg-based nonprofit’s achievements.

The pandemic-era celebration will include opportunities for guests to enjoy some of the popular musical acts that have performed at Creative Clay’s fundraiser Creative Clay Fest and at its monthly ArtWalk events. Guests will be treated to performances by Rebekah Pulley, Dean Johanesen, The Urban Gypsies, His Hem, Emily Turnage, Chant the Trees and more.

“We are excited to be partnering with our media sponsor Big Sea Marketing, who will be producing the event,” said CEO Kim Dohrman. “Their team is blending videos of our artists’ stories and our featured music into a beautiful, cohesive piece that should both entertain and inspire.”

Guests will also hear from Creative Clay member artists, staff, founders, and former Creative Clay member artists.

Opportunities to bid on silent auction items from current and past business partners will be available. Donations for the silent auction are being collected. For information, email shane@creativeclay.org.

Creative Clay’s vision is to make the arts accessible to all. Its mission is to help people with disabilities achieve full and inclusive lives through access to the arts by providing expressive, educational, and vocational experiences.

Creative Clay’s core program is its Community Arts Program, which serves 50-60 adult artists with neuro-differences each week. Through the implementation of additional offerings, such as the inclusive Art Around the World summer camp, Summer Studio for older teens and young adults, Artlink employment program, Creative Care Arts in Wellness outreach program, and its Pinellas County Schools’ partnership transition program, individuals of all ages and abilities are mentored, taught and empowered to become working artists who actively create, market and sell their work.

To learn more about Creative Clay, visit www.creativeclay.org.

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Capitol Theatre join #REDALERTRESTART

CLEARWATER — The Florida Professional Presenters Consortium, a statewide organization of more than 60 performing arts venues, including Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, recently joined Red Alert, a nationwide effort to encourage Congress to provide relief for the live entertainment industry, which has been uniquely affected by the pandemic.

On Sept. 1, from 9 p.m. to midnight, performing arts venues across the nation lit their exteriors in red as part of a nationwide call to action, imploring the U.S. Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S. 3814/H.R. 7481) and the Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258/H.R. 7806) as quickly as possible.

The RESTART Act and the Save Our Stages Act offer economic relief to the live events industry, which has been shuttered since March 2020. Nationwide, 12 million show workers are estimated to be unemployed because of COVID-19, including designers, technicians, programmers, stagehands and others.

“While so many industries have been negatively impacted during the pandemic, live arts and music will be one of the hardest hit,” said Susan Crockett, Ruth Eckerd Hall president and CEO. “Few venues can survive operating at 0-20% capacity for such a long period. The loss of jobs and cultural investment across the nation will be devastating to our communities.”

“Our culture, the music, dance and theatre created and performed in each of our cities, is what makes them unique and special places,” said Kevin Stone, president of the Florida Professional Presenters Consortium. “We must make sure that survives. It’s also about jobs and the economy. The member venues of Florida Presenters alone create a total economic impact every year of $495 million, which supports the full-time equivalent of 15,425 jobs, $377.7 million of household income, $21.8 million of local government fees and taxes and $26.1 million of state government fees and taxes.”

The public can support the industry in several ways. Visit saveourstages.com to send a message to your U.S. Senators and Representative. Use the hashtags #SAVEOURSTAGES and #RedAlertRESTART on social media. Light your own residence or business red in a show of solidarity, or use a red filter on a social media image.

The Florida Professional Presenters Consortium represents performing arts venues throughout the state of Florida, from Panama City to Key West, from the largest cultural institutions in the state to the smallest, most vital organizations in rural and underserved counties. The business of culture is a major component of Florida’s diverse economy, contributing a $1.4 billion impact to the state’s economy. The activities of the members of Florida Presenters contribute almost a half billion dollars to that impact.

In addition to Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, these Tampa Bay area members of Florida Presenters are participating in #REDALERTRESTART:

• Center for the Arts at River Ridge, New Port Richey
• Duke Energy Center for the Arts/Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
• Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton
• Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

Drama Essentials for Kids program offered through CPPAC

LARGO — The Central Park Performing Arts Center recently announced its all-new theater educational program Drama Essentials for Kids.

Weekly sessions presented throughout the fall will introduce children to the art of acting, using specific tools and lesson plans to help develop their growth as young actors. The eight-week program is open to children between 8 and 13 years old and will run from Oct. 1 to Nov. 19. Presented in the Historic Largo Feed store, sessions will take place Thursdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Enrollment is limited. Early registration is encouraged. Participants can register now at PlayLargo.com or in person at either the Highland Recreation Complex, Southwest Recreation Complex, or Community Center. The program will cost $99 for members of the city of Largo’s Recreation, Parks, and Arts Department, and $198 for nonmembers. Need-based scholarships are available through support from the Central Park Performing Arts Foundation.

For information, visit LargoArts.com or call 727-587-6751.