SHAKORI HILLS COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER INC

This three-day annual event brings musicians, dancers and music-lovers together in celebration of North Carolina's traditional music. Everyone can participate in instrument and band contests, square dances, music workshops and a hoppin' john cook-off. The convention helps keep traditional music and culture alive by passing it through the generations. It is the only event of its kind in the Piedmont region. Anyone wishing to volunteer may work for their admission and camping.

Roots in the Schools aims to inspire elementary - high school students through exposing them to local and global music. Public schools in Chatham, Orange and Durham Counties in North Carolina have benefited from the program in which artists, musicians, and dancers are welcomed into a school to provide music education ranging from small class workshops to whole school concerts. At a time when music and art departments are being cut from schools, this program continues to fill an important need for our young community.

The garden occupies approximately 8800 square feet, with three crop rotation areas to keep the harvest on a year-round cycle. The project is coordinated by an instructor with Central Carolina Community College’s Sustainable Agriculture program.

Everyone is welcome to participate in the entirely of the growing process, from the early planning stages like deciding what crops to grow, ordering seeds and tilling the ground to planting, weeding, mulching and harvesting. No previous gardening experience is necessary.

Garden workers get a share of everything harvested.
Excess produce is sold at the local farmers' market and/or donated to the CORA Food Pantry. In 2016, this garden donated over 300 pounds of produce, including squash, green beans, cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, beets, okra, peppers, melons and tomatoes.

Finding Your Voice is a six-week session offered two-three times per year. Students meet with a local singer and voice teacher once a week to improve their singing voices, get over "stage fright" and learn the basics techniques of vocalization through song.

Free workshops open to the public in organic gardening, earth skills (basket making, ecology walks, friction fire), yoga and musical topics.

Our chapter of Junior Appalachian Musicians. JAM provides instrument loans and low to no-cost music lessons for children in traditional string band instruments, with the goal of teaching students to play together as a band. We currently serve four western Chatham County schools, enrolling students grades 4 - 8.