Jul 6, 2022
Arts for Well-Being Grant Supports Corrections
Press Release
Contact: Young Artists Conservatory of Music, Wanda Cook, Executive Director, wcook@youngartistsconservatory.org , 707-451-7200
Date: July, 6, 2023
Young Artists Conservatory of Music
Awarded California Arts Council Arts in Corrections Grant
State funds support the unlimited potential of at-risk populations through exceptional and transformational arts education, and significant performance experiences.
Vacaville CA. – The California Arts Council has announced a grant award of $33,000.00 to Young Artists Conservatory of Music as part of its Arts in Corrections program in its first round of funding for 2022.
Young Artists Conservatory of Music (YACM) will partner with Archway Recovery Services (ARS) of Fairfield, as a part of our Arts for Well-Being Program. Through this project we will bring the positive effects of drama and music to people involved in the justice system who are also seeking recovery from substance use disorders.
By collaborating with Archway Recovery Services YACM will resource the latest evidence based addiction treatment modalities with those in drama and music therapy to help people make meaningful change. “In my 40 years of working in music education, I have identified 5 domains of human development that music education explicitly addresses: Listening Skills, Focus, Resilience, Empathy, and Self-Confidence”, says Wanda Cook, Executive Director of Young Artists Conservatory of Music. “By infusing drama and music with our evidence based treatment practices, I am confident we will promote the kind of self-awareness that empowers healing and positive re-entry, among our clients”, Kevin Phillips, Executive Director of ARS.
The YACM and ARS joint goal for this grant is to dismantle the root causes of addiction, social alienation, and prevent recidivism in the lives of those who participate.
Young Artists Conservatory of Music was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, with grant awards for its Cycle A programming totaling more than $31 million across more than 1,100 grants supporting nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state. The dollar amount already marks the largest annual investment in the California Arts Council’s 46-year history.
“We are elated today to be able to say that, with this first round of funds, we are placing a historic amount of money into the very worthy hands of California’s arts and cultural workforce—and with more yet to come,” said California Arts Council Chair Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez. “We have long since understood the value of our artists in this state, and we are incredibly grateful to our Governor and our Legislature for their support and sharing in a like-minded vision for a California where all people flourish with access to and participation in the arts.”
Organizations were awarded grants across seven different program areas within Cycle A, focused on the CAC’s efforts to address geographic equity, enable autonomy and sustainability for smaller organizations, and grow the strength of local arts agencies and their partnerships.
To view a complete listing of all California Arts Council grantees by county, visit this link. For a complete listing of grantees by organization, go to this link.
# # #
Founded on the conviction that the performing arts is the greatest means to develop human potential and social cohesion, we invest in the unlimited potential of youth and at-risk populations through exceptional arts education and significant performance experiences. Across a broad demographic spectrum of Solano residents, YACM programs are designed to cultivate musical talent, curate emotional well-being, while promoting regional participation in the arts.
The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Members of the California Arts Council include: Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez, Chair; Consuelo Montoya, Vice Chair; Gerald Clarke, Vicki Estrada, Jodie Evans, Ellen Gavin, Alex Israel, Phil Mercado, and Roxanne Messina Captor. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance.
