Looking East: Thai Bui
Vietnamese born sculptor Thai Bui's extraordinary objects simultaneously communicate a witty humor and penetrating sense loss. This Educator Guide explores the history and traditions of Bay Area Funk, Conceptual art and Minimalism.
Let's Talk Politics: Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Acclaimed British playwright David Edgar takes aim at American politics with his two-play cycle, Continental Divide, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. This Educator Guide explores the history of political activism and political theatre in the UK and the US.
Legacies: Shri Krupa Dance Foundation
Dancer, teacher and choreographer Vishal Ramani discusses her 30 years in the Bay Area developing the Shri Krupa Dance Foundation, a non-profit center that offers daily classes on the complex tradition of Bharata Natyam. This Educator Guide is about the Indian dance form of Bharata Natyam and its traditions and practices.
Legacies: Julia Parker
Julia Parker is one of the few remaining traditional Native American basket weavers in California. This Educator Guide traces the history of basket weaving in the West Coast Indian populations.
Leaders: Brenda Way
Modern dance choreographer Brenda Way inspires her Oberlin Dance Company dancers to work harder and accomplish more than they ever dreamed possible. This Educator Guide addresses the history and uniqueness of ODC/San Francisco and dance in San Francisco.
Art in Public Places: Jo Kreiter
SPARK follows choreographer/dancer Jo Kreiter and the Flyaway Productions company members as they mix art and politics in a site-specific work about the history of protest on San Francisco's Market Street. This Educator Guide addresses the history of public performance art.
Kids on Stage: Marsh Youth Theater
SPARK goes backstage as 40 5th-9th grade students in the Marsh Youth Theatre (MYT) Mainstage Performance Ensemble prepare for the premiere of Jip, His Story. This Educator Guide is about the history of children's theatre in the US.
In Respect of Nature: Roman Loranc
Spark visits photographer Roman Loranc as he captures arresting images of the Central Valley landscape. This Educator Guide is about photography, landscape photography and Romanticism as a creative approach in art making.
Home, Sweet Home: Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
SPARK follows Jared "Choclatt" Crawford as he prepares for his foot-tapping new musical theater production "Hit It!" at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. This Educator Guide is about the history of drumming, street performers, and African American musical theater.
Home, Sweet Home: headRush
SPARK explores the work of theatrical performance group headRush. This Educator Guide is about the exploration and history of experimental, political theater and performance art.
History Retold: Berkeley Repertory Theatre's "The People's Temple"
SPARK follows the creation of the documentary theatre project The People's Temple Project from its original conception by David Dower to opening night of play written and directed by Leigh Fondakowski at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. This Educator Guide addresses the history of the Peoples Temple.
Hip Math and Shape Art
This lesson builds upon student knowledge of basic geometric shapes by studying the art in the illustrations shown in the video. Students draw and name organic, non-geometric shapes.
Global Village: Diamano Coura West African Dance Company
African artists Dr. Zak Diouf and Naomi Gedo Washington direct their company, Diamano Coura, and prepare the group for an annual repertory performance. This Educator Guide is about distinctive musical structures and dance traditions unique to West Africa.
Fusion: Sha Sha Higby
Sha Sha Higby's artworks are moving sculptures worn in performances the artist choreographs. This Educator Guide explores traditions of pageantry and theatre, including the masquerade of the Venetian Carnevale, African tribal dancing, Japanese Noh theater and Kabuki, and Commedia dell'Arte.
Fusion: Calligraphy of Thought
Go inside the Bay Area's burgeoning Muslim spoken word, poetry, and Hip-Hop scene with Calligraphy of Thought women poets as they create and rehearse new works for a performance. This Educator Guide addresses the history of Muslim women in entertainment and the history of Hip-Hop.
Frontiers of Dance: Ledoh and Salt Farm Butoh Dance Company
SPARK goes into rehearsals with butoh dancer Ledoh, as he explores the ancient, agrarian roots of his Ka-Ren ancestry in Burma with his group The Salt Farm Butoh Dance Company. This Educator Guide traces the history of butoh to its origins in post-war Japan and its diverse contemporary forms.
Frontiers of Dance: AXIS Dance Company
AXIS Dance Company combines the work of dancers with and without physical disabilities in works such as Victoria Marks "Dust," a provocative choreographic portrait that challenges viewer's assumptions about each of the performers. This Educator Guide addresses the history of integrated dance and theatre companies in the UK and the US.
From Life: Viola Frey
SPARK visited veteran ceramic artist Viola Frey in the last months of her life when she continued to work from a wheelchair with the help of a mechanized lift and devoted assistants to create her monumental figures. This Educator Guide is about the history of ceramics and the contributions of Bay Area artists, including Frey.
From Book to Video: Using a Book to Make a Classroom Video
Students learn the differences between a book and a video, then storyboard scenes from a favorite poem or book.
Freedom = Democracy: The Importance of Free Press in Maintaining a Democracy
Freedom of the press is one of the rights protected by the 1st Amendment and is essential to a democracy. Through the activities in this lesson, students will analyze the importance of free press in a democracy and how that freedom has evolved over time. Students will also see how a restricted freedom of the press, like that found in Iraq, helps dictators maintain power.
