This fall, RISCA is piloting a semester long workforce development program. Modeled as a three credit college course, 9 participants in three arts disciplines (fashion, visual art, and music) will spend the fall semester learning together. This program will culminate in an art event created from top to bottom by the participants. The goal of this program is to equip young artists with the business and professional skills they need to have a career in the arts. This program is being developed in partnership with New Urban Arts, AS220, Providence Arts Culture and Tourism, The Steel Yard, and Roger Williams University.
Time Commitment and Course Structure:
This program has three parts: learning focused on professional practices; art discipline workshops; and mentorship. The group will meet once a week, on Wednesday evenings, from September 4th through December 18th for learning focused on professional practices. Additional art discipline workshops will be approximately once every two weeks, and will be based on the participant’s schedules and interests. Participants will have one-on-one and small group meetings with their mentor for the second half of the program, which they will schedule. We estimate that this will require approximately 10-15 hours of time a week, with the potential for more around the culminating art project. All course meetings will happen at Roger Williams University’s downtown Providence campus or at AS220. Eligible participants will earn three college credits. See a draft of the course syllabus here.
Payment
Participants will be paid $150 for each week of the program. This is dependent on securing funding from the State of Rhode Island – which we will have confirmed by the interview portion of the application process.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- be between the ages of 18 and 25
- reside in Providence County
- have an art making focus in fashion, visual art, or music
- not currently be in a degree seeking program
You do not need to:
- have a high school diploma
- plan on going to college
Application Process
The application is due by 11:59pm on Monday, July 8th. The panel, made up of representatives from the partner organizations, will meet on July 15th to select 15 finalists. These finalists will be asked to have an in-person or video interview between July 16th and 19th- the questions will be sent to the applicant in advance. We will notify applicants of their acceptance into the program the first week of August. If you have any questions or need any assistance with your application, please contact Mollie Flanagan, at mollie.flanagan@arts.ri.gov or (401)222-3881.
To apply, click here.
Timeline
Application Deadline: 11:59pm, Monday, July 8
Interviews: between July 16 and July 19th
Notification of Acceptance: first week of August
Classes begin: first week of September
Poetry Out Loud is a national program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the 
This year’s winner of Poetry Out Loud was Isabella Callery from Minnesota. Haley was a strong competitor, receiving perfect scores for accuracy in her semi-final. Although she didn’t advance to the final round, she made Rhode Island proud by being an encouraging, supportive, and enthusiastic cheerleader for the new friends and fellow young poets still advancing in the competition. 
While on this trip, both Haley and Maggie made the most of being in Washington, DC. Haley was able to meet with almost all of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation and speak to them about the importance of poetry in her life. Maggie spent time with her colleges from State Arts Agencies throughout the country discussing the challenges and successes of the Poetry Out Loud program – and youth arts programs in general – and deeply exploring issues of inclusion, equity, access and diversity.