Adventure Awaits with New Victory Arts Break: Explore a World of Arts

By Lindsey Buller Maliekel, Vice President, Education and Public Engagement

Last spring, I sat next to my two kids, ages 5 and 7, and considered how, because of my husband’s work situation, I would be their primary caregiver for the rest of the school year. I realized that one of the things that worried me the most about the upcoming months was the potential for them, and all the kids at home, to miss the joy that the arts bring to their lives.

Determined to bring the arts to kids and the kids to arts, New Victory staff and teaching artists worked three days straight to create New Victory Arts Break quickly so that when schools closed, we were able to provide an online resource for parents and educators that invited kids to learn new things and create their own art while isolated at home.

As the lockdowns got longer, as the news got scarier and as the kids got lonelier—my kids learned how to do magic, make props, stand on their heads, juggle and dance. And so did kids around the country! We started getting emails and comments from teachers and families throughout the United States and around the world, letting us know that kids were watching and creating along with New Victory Arts Break.

This summer, I began to think about the future of schools and all of the restrictions that were still to come. I also thought back to the role that New Victory has always played in my own kids’ lives—as a place that brought the world closer to them, introduced them to art forms and artists they never would have met otherwise and invited them to try those same art forms themselves.

In the coming months, New Victory Arts Break will feature some of our favorite artist friends, alongside New Victory Teaching Artists and New Victory Ushers, to help kids discover global cultures, art forms and human experiences. Together, we want to do our part to make sure that young people still have access to a wide world full of possibilities.

In addition to easy-to-follow information that gives you a brief look at the featured continent, there will be engaging and interactive activities from New Victory Teaching Artists designed to bring these areas of the world and the local artistry to life for your family.

Throughout the rest of the month you can expect:

• Week 1: Discover more about the home, community and creative life of one artist or company from that continent. Plus, an activity from a New Victory Teaching Artist.
• Week 2: Create as you learn how that artist or company brings theater to life, as well as another engaging New Victory Teaching Artist activity.
• Week 3: Play alongside New Victory Teaching Artists as they help you create your own art.
• Week 4: Connect your life in New York City, or wherever you are, to the arts with activities from New Victory Teaching Artists and Ushers.

Our goal is to keep the arts and the magic alive for your kids. We at New Victory believe that the arts are capable of helping kids know themselves better, make connections and be creative. Even though arts budgets are getting cut across the country and our lives might feel restricted, we hope that New Victory Arts Break helps keep your kids’ worlds expansive, enriching and magical! Join us as we explore a world of arts!