by Denise Etheridge
White County News
Two local nonprofits, Amped Kids Foundation and the Sautee Nacoochee Center, have received state arts grants to support youth music programs and community arts initiatives.
Amped Kids was given a project grant and SNC received a grant to support its operations through the Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
General Operating Support Grants are available to arts organizations for eligible operating expenses like rent, utilities, programming expenses and marketing.
“Given the reduction in available grant opportunities this year, funding of this nature is critical to ensuring that nonprofit arts organizations can remain open and serve their communities,” said Mel Whitehead, Executive Director of SNC.
“Georgia’s nonprofit arts organizations are bringing quality arts and cultural events to their communities, fostering economic vitality and providing opportunities for young people,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly. “This grant funding will allow these organizations to focus on their primary mission by relieving some of the burden of operating expenses, and we are grateful to the Georgia General Assembly for providing
this support.”
Funds awarded by GCA include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant recipients include theaters, dance companies, museums, schools, cities, colleges and multi-discipline arts entities like SNC.
“These awards will also provide educational opportunities for students,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Fostering creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential for the future workforce in any industry.”
“The GCA grant is helping Amped Kids provide music lessons and instruments for four students for one academic school year,” said April Rooks, Amped Kids Foundation founder and director. “The project will fund 10 songwriting workshops for up to 125 students. Workshops will include a songwriting journal for each participant. Participants will be assigned a professional musician as a mentor to support their progress.”
Rooks said lessons and workshops will take place across Amped Kids’ 15-county service area in community centers, music stores, the Amped Kids office and in students’ homes. Public performances will take place in local parks, music festivals, music stores, churches and community centers, she said. “These programs support our mission which is to provide a pathway of healing, connection and community to children who have experienced trauma,” Rooks explained.
Amped Kids has also scheduled its annual talent show from 2-3 p.m. Oct 4, at the First Baptist Church in Cumming. The event celebrates musicians, singers and songwriters ages 5 to 18.
“Each performer is a super star for the day,” Rooks said. She said participants will receive performance coaching, spend time in a green room with lunch and snacks, get their hair and make-up done as well as receiving a swag bag and continuing education funds for participating.
For more information about Amped Kids, visit ampedkids.org or call 678-283-0743.
To see what events and activities SNC has lined up, visit sauteenacoocheecenter.org.