Boston Children's Chorus Partners With Castle Of Our Skins and Center For Arabic Culture

Boston Children's Chorus has announced a new partnership with Castle of our Skins (CooS), an arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music, and the Center for Arabic Culture (CAC), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote Arabic Culture and the Arab-American experience through education and the arts.

This new partnership sees Castle of our Skins and the Center for Arabic Culture sharing the administrative space of BCC's headquarters at 20 Old Colony Ave in South Boston.

Andrés Holder, Executive Director of the Boston Children's Chorus, says, "We're thrilled to open our doors to Castle of our Skins and the Center for Arabic Culture. Following a time of deep isolation, it is exciting to emerge with togetherness as we think of our space. With the changing nature of work presenting an opportunity, we are fortunate to have joined forces with terrific mission-aligned partners in symbiotic ways."

This season, Castle of our Skins celebrates its 10th Anniversary of honoring Black artistry through music. CooS challenges inequities with cultural representation, and invites Black heritage and culture exploration, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present. Their intergenerational and interdisciplinary concerts range in themes from Black love, African American quilting, and Black Feminism to freedom, civil rights, visual arts, and Black excellence.

Ashleigh Gordon, co-founder, Artistic/Executive Director, and violist of Castle of our Skins, says, "The partnership with BCC allows us to have dedicated space for our growing team, which is crucial as we are actively expanding our staff and programming. The proximity to the organization also allows us to engage with more youth musicians as part of our mission to foster cultural curiosity. We're especially looking forward to our upcoming collaboration with BCC as part of our "As Told By" series in a new opera about abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman."

The Center for Arabic Culture (CAC) implements its secular and non-political mission of "building bridges and connecting cultures" through a range of programs and activities that are aimed toward providing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Arabic culture and the Arab American experience. CAC programs include Arabic language school, youth orchestra and choir, cultural events, and an annual celebration of the Arab American Heritage Month.

Alma Richeh, the Executive Director of CAC says: "Our partnership with BCC goes to the core of CAC's mission of building bridges and connecting cultures. Since language and music education is at the heart of the Arabic culture and looking at BCC's mission that "harnesses the power of music to connect our city's diverse communities", this similitude made bringing both our organizations together in one home, a step forward toward building a stronger, inclusive and more equitable community. In 2022, CAC expands its services to provide cultural programs at Boston Public Schools. We are excited to operate our language school and music programs at BCC's facility and to continue serving the community in the beautiful city of Boston."

Boston Children's Chorus 20th Season Overview:

In this 20th Anniversary season, BCC is exploring our past, present, and future impact in the Greater Boston community. Founded by Boston civil rights icon Hubie Jones in 2003, BCC's 2022-2023 20th anniversary season celebrates the city's history of civil rights activism and draws attention to the work still to be done. While exploring an inequitable past and the generational impact of those injustices in the Boston of today, BCC singers celebrate the anniversary by recommitting to the chorus' core mission of inspiring inquiry, cultivating empathy, and becoming future generations of Boston leaders. The organization serves over 300 youth through after school and summer programs.

BCC's season kicks off in September and includes collaborations with award-winning artists including White Snake Projects and hip-hop artist/activist Zakiyyah. BCC singers in various choruses will perform at Boston Symphony Hall, Old South Church, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Mass. and more.

Singers ages 7-18 are invited to participate in BCC's 20th anniversary season. To learn more, visit: https://www.bostonchildrenschorus.org/.

About Boston Children's Chorus

Boston Children's Chorus (BCC) was founded in 2003 by Hubie Jones, a civic leader who has worked for six decades to address the social problems facing Boston's underserved children and communities. Named Boston's "Ambassadors of Harmony" by The Boston Globe, BCC harnesses the power of music to connect Boston's diverse communities, cultivate empathy, and inspire social inquiry. BCC choir programs include 11 choirs with singers from 110 different zip codes in and around Boston. BCC presents over 50 performances per season in a wide range of public and private events. They have performed in venues from Boston Symphony Hall, and Royal Albert Hall in London, to Sydney Opera House, and the White House.

BCC is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture.

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