Carpe Diem Arts, Inc.

Ukes On The Move! introduces children, teens, adults and seniors to music-making and songwriting via the UKULELE! The project was inspired by seeing the joy derived from learning to play an instrument, at any stage of life. You will find Ukes on the Move! in schools, community centers, after-school programs and summer camps, correctional facilities, senior centers and retirement communities.

CARPE DIEM YOUTH ARTBEAT AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS take place in several area housing developments, serving primarily immigrant and refugee communities and low-income children and families. These programs are offered through creative partnerships with other non-profits, housing organizations, local schools and townships.

Carpe Diem offers arts-infused French and Spanish immersion camps for grades 3-5, including ukulele, songwriting, arts and crafts, playwriting, field trips, international folk dancing and singing, cooking and yoga. We also offer sleep-away camps for 10-14 year-old girls on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, as well as family retreats, arts weekends, board and staff retreats, with visual, literary and performing arts activities, kayaking, canoeing, and other outdoor recreation.

The Carpe Diem-Revels Community Family Sing takes place on the 21st of each month. Welcoming all ages, we celebrate heritage months, birthdays and holidays, exploring diverse cultures and traditions of song, and providing opportunities to work with master teaching artists, song leaders and composers. Additional offerings include song circles, workshops and choral arts residencies, inviting participants to delve more deeply into a genre or tradition of music and prepare a program for public performance.

The Silver Spring Community Dance takes place on the second Thursday of every month. The dance provides an opportunity for everyone, all ages, backgrounds, and abilities (no matter how many left feet!) to participate in the experience of dancing to live music, featuring outstanding musicians and dance callers. Our belief is that a community – individuals, couples, colleagues and families, that share in the experience of singing and dancing together tend to stay together – and that participation in the arts promotes health of mind, body and spirit. Our goal is to is to create a welcoming space for children and teens, families and seniors from all walks of life, where we can embrace and celebrate the diversity of our community. The Second Thursday monthly Silver Spring Dance includes contras and squares, circle and line dances, and takes place in the Great Hall of the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Centered on Arts is a collaboration between Carpe Diem Arts and the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Recreation with the goal of arts integration in recreational programming. Professional teaching artists present performances, workshops, and residencies in area community and senior centers -- as part of MoCo Rec summer programs, after-school enrichment, and senior programming. Past offerings include Hip-Hop Dance, African Dance and Drum, Freedom Quilt Banners, a Mural Residency, Puppet-Making, Mosaics, Ukulele, Songwriting, International Folk Dancing, Salsa Dance, Squares and Contras, Swing Dance, Creative Writing, Book-Making, Theater, Decoupage and Collage, and more.

Providing opportunities for seniors to engage in the visual, literary and performing arts as an outlet for creative expression and a springboard for a new lease on life, benefiting health of mind, body and spirit.

Community arts programming partnerships involve working with area housing and community development organizations to provide cultural arts enrichment programming, celebrating diversity, strengthening education, and building community through shared experiences. Activities include the creation of indoor and outdoor murals, mosaics and other visual arts residencies, music, dance, theater and storytelling workshops, house concerts, and more. Current partners include Generations of Hope @ Genesis House, Telesis Corporation, Montgomery Housing Partnership, Community Preservation and Development Corporation.

A bi-weekly e-posting of an aesthetically pleasing compilation of recommended arts events and activities in the greater DC area -- benefitting arts presenters, artists and audiences alike.