In the Spring of 1995, a group of women from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China -- who were involved with organizations that work with children and the arts -- traveled to the United States under the auspices of the Institute of International Education. They visited a number of organizations throughout the country who were involved in similar work, to share experiences and to learn. ArtsConnection was one of their primary destinations in New York City. As a result of that visit, ArtsConnection’s Executive Director, Steven Tennen, was invited to Hong Kong (1996) and Taipei (1999) to continue this conversation with the Asian arts-in-education community. Mr. Tennen concluded each visit with public lectures on the establishment of effective partnerships between arts organizations, schools, and communities, and the training of professional artists to work in public schools. Taiwan and Hong Kong are currently formulating plans to expand arts education in the schools. A crucial issue in these discussions is defining the role that not-for-profit, non-government organizations will play. Mr. Tennen found it interesting that the two major issues confronting arts organizations in New York City and much of the United States — real partnerships with schools and professional development for artists to take on more demanding educational assignments — were the same issues being discussed in Asia.
		In May 1997, twenty students participating in our Young Talent and Young Talent Alumni Programs in music and dance, were given the extraordinary opportunity to travel to Norway as guests of that country’s government, to take part in the 1000th Anniversary celebration of Trondheim -- Norway’s third largest city. While in Norway, the students -- from PS 155 in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan and PS 130 in the Kensington section of Brooklyn -- stayed with Norwegian families from one of the four schools they visited. Our students participated in workshops and performances with the world-renowned brass ensemble, the Brazz Brothers, and Norwegian school children; explored cultural and historical sites; and performed before an audience of seven thousand people in a final Millennium celebration concert held in the city’s town square -- sharing the stage with The Brazz Brothers and other young people from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tanzania, and Norway. ArtsConnection received this invitation after the success of Norwegian Visions: Growing Sights and Sounds, a 1996 program that brought the Brazz Brothers and other Norwegian musicians to ArtsConnection’s Center and New York City public schools for performances and workshops. The visit concluded with a collaborative performance between the musicians and ArtsConnection students at Symphony Space. go back to young talent program