What is Days in the
Arts (DARTS)?
Each
summer since 1968 in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Boston
Symphony Orchestra operates Days in the Arts (DARTS), a
multi-cultural, residential education program where
Where do the students stay?
At DARTS all students, staff and faculty are
housed in dormitory facilities at Simon's
What are my responsibilities as Community Coordinator?
As
the Community Coordinator, you are responsible for selecting students to
participate in DARTS. You serve as the liaison between the DARTS office and your community by
collecting students' registration information (registration form, payment form,
and two health forms) and the_$50 non-refundable deposit and then submitting
them to the DARTS office (
How do I select students to attend?
DARTS relies on Community Coordinators for student selection. It is up to
you, the Community Coordinator, to decide how to fill your slots. Selection
methods used by Coordinators in the past have included lottery, essay contest,
and hand-selecting students. When filling your slots, please keep the following
criteria in mind:
¨
Students
who have previously participated in DARTS are not eligible,
¨
If
possible, there should be an equal number of boys and girls,
¨
The
ethnic background of the students should reflect that of the school and the
community
¨
Participants
should be selected from students currently in 5th, 6th,
and 7th grade,
¨
Although
experience in the arts is not necessary, please select students who have some
interest in or a positive attitude towards arts activities.
Do students have to have experience in the Arts?
While
no experience in the arts is necessary, we do ask that students have an
interest in or a positive attitude towards the arts. However, because it takes
longer than five days to develop the basics in instrumental music, students who
wish to participate in the Instrumental Music Workshop should have a basic
understanding of and ability to read printed music and at least one year
of dedicated and continuous study on the instrument, either through a school program
or through private instruction.
Is financial assistance available?
Often
times, organizations in your community (such as PTO's or Lion's Club etc.) will
provide financial assistance or scholarships to students from their community.
We encourage you to check with organizations in your community to see if this
is available.
DARTS does not turn away children due to financial hardship.
Everyone is required to pay the $50 non-refundable deposit, but above and beyond that, we do our best to
assist families in need.
Families
interested in obtaining need-based financial assistance through the Boston
Symphony Orchestra should obtain a Financial Assistance Request Form from you (these forms will be
sent to you with the Student Registration packets in January). This form,
should be completed and submitted directly to the DARTS office (
A member of the DARTS staff may contact you regarding financial assistance
requests from your community. The DARTS staff also welcomes any referrals that you can provide
for students in need of assistance. If you wish to refer a student, call the DARTS office at 617.638.9375 or email darts@bso.org.
What does a "typical" day at DARTS look like?
|
|
Wake up Breakfast Creative
Expression Arts
Workshops Lunch |
|
|
Cultural
Excursion Dinner Group
Activity Lights-Out |
How do children get to/from DARTS?
All students, except for those
located in
a student's time at DARTS. If a parent wishes to drive a student to Simon's Rock
College and/or pick them up, please have them notify the DARTS office by calling 617.638.9375 or emailing darts@bso.org
at least one week prior to attendance.
What are Cultural Excursions?
In addition to their intensive Arts
Workshop experience, students are immersed in several forms and aspects of the
arts during daily Cultural Excursions to local cultural institutions in the
Berkshires. Cultural Excursion sites in the past have included: Jacob's Pillow
Dance Festival, Chesterwood, Shakespeare and Company, Berkshire Theatre
Festival, Norman Rockwell Museum, Clark Art Institute, Williams-town Theater
and Tanglewood.
What is Creative Expression?
Creative Expression classes are
taught by schoolteachers from participating communities. In Creative Expression
students spend time with self-reflection, journal writing, and other expressive
activities to give their imagination a jumpstart for the day.
What are Arts Workshops?
Arts Workshops are taught by
experienced arts educators. Students may choose from Vocal Music, Instrumental
Music, Theater/Drama, Dance or Visual Arts. All Arts Workshops work toward a
presentation for their peers on the last night of the session. (Students will
be asked to select their top three choices on their registration form. We
guarantee placement in one of their top three selections).
Vocal Music
Those
enrolled in the Vocal Music workshop will have the opportunity to sing great
music while using proper technique and learning the fundamentals associated
with singing. Students will learn how to use their voice effectively to become
strong singers. No previous experience required.
Instrumental Music
The
Instrumental Music workshop helps students learn the skills necessary to play
together in a group. Repertoire is selected based on the level of the group and
can consist of classical, jazz, folk and film music. Students should have a
basic understanding of and ability to read printed music. We suggest that those
interested in the instrumental workshop have at least one year of dedicated
and continuous study on the instrument, either through a school program or
through private instruction. Students are welcome to bring their own
instrument but it is not required; standard orchestral instruments are
provided. Instruments are stored in a locked classroom during a student's time
at DARTS.
Theater/Drama
Those
enrolled in the Theater workshop will learn techniques and skills needed to
become a successful stage actor—drama to comedy, scripts to improvisation.
Theater students will gain insight into acting no matter what their skill
level. No
previous experience
required.
Dance
The
Dance workshop will consist of learning proper stretching and warm-up, as well
as other fundamentals of dance. Dancers will prepare a short choreographed work
developed by the instructor. This class is high energy with a ton a fun mixed
in. Dance is for everybody! No previous experience required.
Visual Arts
In
this workshop students will explore a number of techniques involved with visual
arts. Past Visual Arts workshops have used sculpture, watercolors, oils, mural
painting, charcoals and canvas painting. No previous experience required.
What if a child is on medication or has a food allergy?
There is a certified .nurse on campus
with the students to administer-necessary medication.
Simon's
Can parents contact their child during the week?
Although we do not permit students
to call home during their time at DARTS, parents are welcome to write to their
child via email or regular mail using the addresses and formats below. (Emails
are printed out and distributed; students will not be able to reply to the
email since they will not have access to a computer.) Please allow at least one
week for letters, packages, postcards etc. to arrive at DARTS.
For
email Communication: For
regular mail communication:
To:
darts@bso.org Days
in the Arts
SUBJECT:
Child’s Name/Week# Tanglewood
Attn:
Child’s Name/Week#
If you have any other questions, contact the DARTS
staff:
617.638.9375 or darts@bso.org