The show must go on.
This phrase guided our faculty and staff since the start of the pandemic, inspiring us to find new ways to enrich your neighborhood with affordable, high-quality arts programming and performances. We pivoted our mainstage production of Gioachino Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglio” into a pop-up program, infusing the streets of the North End with the joy of live opera. We launched a virtual education center, offering continuity of instruction and a sense of normalcy to rising artists enrolled in our in-house educational offerings, private and group music instruction and on-site arts programming at area schools. We adapted our performance season and funded jobs for musicians and vocalists struggling amid COVID-related venue closures, providing opportunities for artists to propel their careers forward.
This summer, we’ll continue to strengthen and unite the North End, Charlestown, and surrounding neighborhoods in the City of Boston through the transformative power of the arts. How, you ask? By empowering families with arts education in a safe, socially-distanced environment amid the reopening. Enter our Summer Pop-Up on the Waterfront, NEMPAC’s creative home for July and August 2021.
Beginning July 6, we’ll take over the ground level of the Boston Harbor Garage at 266 Atlantic Avenue to bring creative movement, music, performing arts, theatre, and voice workshops to rising artists in your family. We’re hugely grateful to Rob Caridad and his entire team at The Chiofaro Company for lending us this space free of charge, and in doing so, affording us the opportunity to expand our enrollment numbers.
On that note, one of the impacts of the global public health crisis on our community music school was the necessity for smaller class sizes. Our priority is and always will be safeguarding the health of our NEMPAC family, so we capped enrollment in arts programming to ensure compliance with public health measures in response to COVID-19, including social distancing.
The Waterfront location is quadruple the size of 9 Hull Street, empowering us to accommodate more families this summer. The square footage of this facility has even permitted us to return to pre-COVID enrollment numbers for several workshops, positioning us well to meet heightened community demand for arts programming that engages the entire family this July and August.
“We are thrilled to welcome NEMPAC’s Summer Pop-Up to the Downtown Waterfront in 2021,” said Rob Caridad, Project Manager at The Chiofaro Company. “Our ‘City to Sea’ initiative is a collaborative effort of The Chiofaro Company, International Place, and the Harbor Garage to celebrate arts, culture, and community in the Wharf District. We couldn’t have found a better partner in doing so than NEMPAC!”
Are you and your loved ones ready to soak up the summer through our Pop-Up at the Waterfront? Here’s a sneak peek of the workshops we have in store:
July 6 – 9th: Kids Music Theatre/Dance Workshop Combo: (full and half-day option)
Rising artists ages four to six will tell stories through dance, infusing props and rhythm instruments into their choreography.
July 12 – 16th: Music Theatre Workshop Week One – “The Jungle Book”
The next generation of performing artists will bring this beloved childhood tale to life through musical theatre.
July 19 – 23rd: Music Theatre Workshop Week Two “Annie”
Young artists ages five to nine will bring this iconic Broadway musical to the North End’s Atlantic Avenue.
July 26 – 30th: Music Theatre Workshop Week Three “Where the Wild Things Are”
Youth musical theatre enthusiasts will unleash their imagination to represent this children’s picture book through sound.
Aug 2 – 6th: Music Theatre Workshop Week Four “The Wizard of Oz”
Artists ages five to nine will transform the ground level of the Boston Harbor Garage into the land of Oz.
Aug 16 – 20th: Music Theatre Intermediate/Dance Workshop Combo: (full and half-day option)
Young dancers ages seven to nine will explore character development, co-creating dance combinations and musical theatre scenes.
Aug 23 – 27th: PlayLab: Create, Produce, Perform
Playwrights ages eight to 11 will create original music productions in consultation with professional design specialists and a lead instructor.
We couldn’t be more excited to welcome you and your family to our Pop-Up on the Waterfront for safe, creative arts programming this summer. Browse our brochure to preview all July and August education programs and sign up for workshops today by visiting our summer registration webpage.
Can’t wait to see you and your loved ones (socially distanced) at the Waterfront…the show must go on!
