If “St. Louis Honey Bears”, the new mural on the East side of the Centene Center for the Arts, reflects the creativity happening behind the blue doors of the incubator, what actually happens inside an arts incubator?

With 19 arts organizations calling the historic building home, the Centene Center for the Arts is a bustling, creative place with activity ranging from Gateway Men's Chorus's weekly rehearsal to AIGA and Open Studio Network recording podcasts and so much more. Summer months added to that wide array of programming.

Creative Reaction Lab’s Design to Better [Our Community] Summer Academy returned to the Catalyst Innovation Lab for year two. In this program, Black and Latinx local high school students gained hands-on experience to drive community change and advocate for racial justice through design. Students presented their research-based community interventions from the six-week program in July.

Also in July, Youth Excellence on Stage Academy St. Louis, a program of Association of American Voices, brought 28 students from the United Arab Emirates for further accessibility and understanding of American per¬forming arts and culture.

Students spent their time in our incubator exploring the arts and venturing out into St. Louis for activities and performances, including a concert at Jazz St. Louis, an Arts and Education Council grantee.

YoungLiars hosted their fourth annual Summer Acting Training Festival. The festival provided 30 hours of intense physical training in four disciplines taught by St. Louis theatre artists over eight days.

Students explored four physical training styles: Suzuki Method taught by Chuck Harper, Neutral Mask taught by Jef Awada, Bouffon taught by Audrey Crabtree and yoga taught by Maggie Conroy.

On Sept. 7, Prison Performing Arts and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis (both Arts and Education Council grantees) will present a workshop facilitated by Curt L. Tofteland, founder and artistic director of Shakespeare Behind Bars, in the Catalyst Innovation Lab.

To experience life inside our arts incubator for yourself, call 314.289.4000 and schedule a tour.

Your gift to the Arts and Education Council furthers our ability to invest in organizations like these that make the St. Louis region a more vibrant arts community for all.

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