Casa De Educacion Y Cultura Latina Inc

La Casa is a rare institution for the times, a big-idea organization in a small town. The only existing arts organization in Perth Amboy it presents structured programs, and is positioned to contribute toward improving the social and communal welfare of Perth Amboy, a city that can benefit from a thriving art scene. Since its inception, La Casa has broadened the scope of New Jersey’s Latino/Hispanic reach through the arts, sharing a living cultural heritage that has often times been diluted and/or taken for granted. Community Arts Invent Program has developed and presented performing arts activities designed to safeguard, exhibit and perpetuate traditions practiced within our communities. It also supports programming that enables general audiences to experience traditional arts as well as new and innovative work that is representative of the diverse cultures of Latinos throughout New Jersey. Most importantly, it taps into our local mapping of creative individuals who look to a facility such as ours where they can present their ideas as well as develop professionally.

Latino Sounds Unplugged/Community Arts INVENT program is a three-pronged program that establishes the City of Perth Amboy as a potential driver for the performing arts in a professional and inclusive setting where excellence takes precedence. Secondly, it is an educational setting for the creative class and non-arts proponents to merge and create new strategies for professional and social development. Lastly, Community Arts INVENT offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to complementing the City’s education system, by engaging and offering area youth (in Perth Amboy and New Brunswick) an opportunity to receive serious training in the performing arts, a feature that has been absent in structured after-school programs.

Our 2015 Program Calendar, which kicks off in February 2015, will comprise of an electrifying range of accessible, age-appropriate performing arts events with the representation of artists from diverse Hispanic backgrounds; educational forums, and running our arts education program.

Latino Sounds Unplugged is the community concert series we developed to attract emerging Latino artists in the performing arts (dance & music) to our area. Since its introduction in 2012, the series has attracted over 1000 folks from throughout the state as well as the tri-state area. Our performance space, coupled with shared space throughout the city, has featured regional, national and international artists, who bring with them a range of artistic styles including classical, Brazilian, flamenco, Latin-Jazz, Salsa, and folk (African and Indigenous influenced art forms). Our partnership with the City of Perth Amboy, adds to our reach of new audiences via the city’s own cultural events- as well as our collaboration with other communities that result in a more wide-ranging experience.