Bringing the Arts to Whitehaven

“Artistic knowledge, capabilities and understanding will be of equal value to the lessons learned in science and mathematics for the vast majority of workers in the twenty-first century.”

- Arnold Packer, Executive Director, U.S. Department of Labor Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills

GRACE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (GCPA), a 501(c)3 theatre arts program combining the educational, social and cultural benefits of the arts to promote the personal, academic, cultural and professional growth of young people, both general and at-risk populations.

GCPA provides exposure to and participation in the arts through live theatre, creative writing, spoken word and public speaking. The program curriculum also includes the visual arts, photography, TV & video recording, audio engineering, set design & construction. Our training of young people in a broad range of performance and theatre skills reinforces personal confidence, communication skills and creative thinking.

Our arts initiative is developmentally rich and equips individuals with certain “intangible” assets such as flexibility, communication techniques, problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills. Training in the arts is viable alternative for equipping young people with the skills they need to become productive participants in today's “economy of ideas.”