Who We Are
The Performers Academy utilizes creative and innovative partnerships as a primary tactic in making healing arts accessible to communities that suffer from limited access. Too often the arts are treated as a privilege or reward as opposed to a preventative measure or educational enrichment. It is because of this harmful narrative that students attending alternative schools, drug rehabilitation programs, incarcerated youth, and students on house arrest are not provided artistic exposure. Our impact on the community we touch is a palpable and evident presence in our day to day experience.
We are dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with the entire community.
Our artistic professionals come from a variety of backgrounds and our training artists are an assortment of racial and social contrast. Art making is about the human experience and we take care to ensure we promote the inclusion of all cultural and ethnic groups within our education, performances, students, material and audience.
Creating robust programs centered around cultural diversity, we have a unique opportunity to engage a wide variety of people throughout the community. In highlighting programs that emphasize racial and cultural themes, TPA provides a platform for works by a broad range of artists with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We will continue to expand our artistic genres to connect with the diverse populations that call Jacksonville home, creating an opportunity for them to experience programs that are relevant to them in a more personal way.
Demographics
Outreach
We engage with diverse audiences through creating audience development programs that attract attendees from different social and cultural backgrounds. Our performances are held through out the year in a myriad of venues, including Hemming Park, Art Awards Events, Public Concerts and private events. We have partnered with many other non-profit organizations to provide entertainment and/or classes to their population, including Episcopal Children’s Services, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Family Support Services, Heal Every Autistic Life and Daniel Kids.
We pride ourselves in our ability to forge relationships with local art instructors, students and organizations. The Performers Academy currently houses ten arts groups from various fields of the performing arts.
Collaboration
Programs
Squad Goals After School Program
At a time when teen suicide and violence are simultaneously on the rise as public funding for education and the arts are being diminished, there is no better time for skilled arts programming for at-hope youth.
Squad Goals After School Programming offers diverse artistic programming that has proven to interrupt cycles of trauma through performance arts. We offer programming Monday - Friday from 2:30pm - 6:30pm meeting the unique needs of at-hope teens between the ages of 12 and 18 who are often disengaged from and missing out on meaningful relationships within their community at large. The curriculum is literacy infused, project - based, disguised therapy. All our instructors are working professionals in their specified fields of expertise. The disciplines offered include: Lyricism, Podcast Production, Recording Arts, Singing & Songwriting, Visual Arts, Dance, and Fashion Design.
P.O.M.E.
Product Of My Environment (POME) is an opportunity for teens (13-19) to create autobiographical poetry which speaks to their experiences, thoughts, and formative interactions as a youth living in Jacksonville.
We go into alternative schools to work with high-risk youth, using poetry and creative writing to guide young voices to express themselves in a healthy way. Our 8 - 16 week sessions leave the participants with the following skills and lessons:
Self-empowerment
Self-reflections
Improved language skills
Better communication skills
Public Speaking experience
Collaboration skills
Ability to write a good poem, rap and/or short story
Just Like Me
Just Like Me Cultural Arts and Educational Experience is a 3-week camp for 15 to 17-year-old teens. Created, hosted and run by The Performers Academy, talented artists lead the teens in an exploration of their experiences. The students learn to express themselves through the arts and share their stories with the community in a final performance at the end of the program.
Just Like Me Cultural Arts and Education Experience was developed by TPA in 2012 and has been recognized as an Exemplary Program by the Center for the Study of Social Policy under their Youth Thrive initiative. This Camp also received recognition from Mental Health of America as a featured program. Just Like Me has transformed the lives of both foster children and our artistic instructors every summer for the past 11 years. 100% of our Just Like Me Cultural Arts Experience attendees are in foster care and categorized as “at risk youth.”
Truth & Proof: Youth Open Mic
TRUTH & PROOF: YOUTH OPEN MIC NIGHT is a FREE, monthly event hosted at The Performers Academy’s Black Box Theatre, for Teens, by Teens!
Held every third Saturday of the month from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, this is THE best event for teen art and poetry in Jacksonville! Teens can meet and network with other artists, bring their voices, and speak their truths on the mic.
Visit our Facebook Live Page for the latest and upcoming dates for this event!
The Opportunity Project
The Opportunity Project is a 3-week work-readiness program that will support young people across Duval County in understanding and maximizing their opportunities after school and help them to see and achieve their potential after High School.
Working in Partnership with The Performers Academy and Family Support Services, the program will give young people aged 17-23 a range of life and technical skills which will increase their aspirations, help them better understand employment opportunities and the benefits of completing high school as well as build their resilience and self-confidence.
We are working in partnership with local employers to support us in sharing local opportunities, delivering key skills sessions, helping the students to be successful in the world of work and start a meaningful career in Jacksonville. The program is delivered face to face by qualified facilitators and will be a mixture of life skills, technical learning and professional development. During the program, each student will work to:
Understand themselves and their skills
Learn the way to behave and succeed in a professional environment
See the range of opportunities for rewarding careers across Jacksonville
For More information, contact Kate@jaxtpa.org
Summer Acting Boot Camp
The Performers Academy is excited to offer our first annual “Summer Acting Boot Camp"! Lead by a veteran Playwright/Producer/Talent Agent and Professional Actor, this summer offers the best of the best in performance art training.
Each two-week session will include:
Improv | Acting Techniques | Scene Study | Monologues | Acting Exercises
Acting for the Camera Overview | Stage Directions and more!
Each two-week session will conclude with a special performance for family and friends at 5:30
SESSION A | June 5-16, 10AM-3PM | June 16th 10am - 7:00 (performance included)
SESSION B | June 19-30, 10AM-3PM | June 30th 10am - 7:00 (performance included)
$500 per session, per camper
Early drop-off at 8:30AM and/or
Extended Day from 3-5PM offered for $35 per day or $125 per week (both times)
Students will bring their own lunch, Monday -Thursday.
Snack and Drinks provided daily.
Pizza Lunch Party every Friday!
Due to the collaborative and supportive environment of the Performing Arts, each parent and student will read, sign and consent to our TPA “Code of Conduct”. TPA will follow CDC Covid guidelines.
The Performers Academy is located at 3674 Beach Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32207 jaxtpa@gmail.com | (904) 322-7672 | Register on-line: www.jaxtpa.org Space is limited. Call to sign up today! Needs based scholarships available!