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School-Year Programs and Community
Outreach
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture seeks to raise cross-cultural awareness among elementary and secondary
school students, educators and various community associations
in an effort
to promote better understanding of Arab-Americans/Arabs and their history and cultural traditions.
In 2008, Al-Bustan contracted with the School District of Philadelphia to offer an Arab Cultural Arts Program, "Self-Explorations through Kahlil Gibran" – exploring the lives and heritage of children at three schools: John Moffet, Feltonvile Arts & Sciences, and Penn Alexander. Al-Bustan's teaching artists began in January with a series of workshops in art, percussion, dance, poetry, and storytelling/oral histories, which culminated in an Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration at the School District on May 22.
In addition, Al-Bustan offers weekend workshops to students of diverse backgrounds. . . check out our offerings this fall:
Weekend Arabic & Drama Workshops for 3rd - 5th graders - Fall 2008 - SIGN UP NOW!
Co-taught by: Nehad Khader - Arabic Language and Nahid Elgadi - Drama
EXPLORE ARAB FAIRY TALES: Workshops include conversational and written Arabic integrated with acting and writing an Arab fairy tale, ending with a performance-in-progress.
Ten Saturday Workshops held at The Rotunda - 4012 Walnut Street in West Philadelphia
Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Dates: Oct: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, Nov: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, Dec: 6th, 13th (no workshop on 11/29)
Fees: $180/student (some scholarships available, inquire for application)
Download
Flyer and Registration Form
For more information, contact 267-809-3668 or nkhader@albustanseeds.org
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Chace Fund, with in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Weekend Percussion Workshops - Fall 2008 - SIGN UP NOW!
for beginning and intermediate students, 3rd - 12th grade
Learn Middle Eastern rhythms and techniques with Joseph Tayoun - Lebanese-American master percussionist
Ten Saturday Workshops held at The Rotunda - 4012 Walnut Street in West Philadelphia
Time: Beginners 12:45 - 1:45 pm; Intermediate: 1:50 - 2:50 pm
Dates: Sept: 27th, Oct: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, Nov: 8th, 15th, 22nd, Dec: 6th, 13th (no workshops on 11/1 or 11/29)
Fees: $120/student (some scholarships available, inquire for application)
* Beginners workshop may be divided into two groups and time adjusted depending on number and age of students
• Each students must have drum or inquire about obtaining on
* First session for ALL students is 1-3pm: an Introduction with DRUM JAM led by guest percussionists and Al-Bustan Percussion Ensemble; see DRUM JAM Flyer
Download
Flyer and Registration Form
For more information, contact 267-809-3668 or nkhader@albustanseeds.org
This program is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts - Learning in the Arts for Children & Youth, with in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Percussion Program at John Moffet School and Feltonville School of Arts & Sciences - 2007-09
Since Sept 2007, Al-Bustan has offered free weekly after school percussion workshops taught by JOSEPH TAYOUN for twenty-five students in 3rd-5th grade at Moffet School. A "Moffet Percussion Ensemble" has been fomed which will continue in the 2008-09 year.
Middle School students at Feltonville were exposed to Arabic percussion taught by JOSEPH TAYOUN in spring 2008. Starting fall 2008, in and after-school sessions will be taught with the goal of establishing a "Feltonville Percussion Ensemble."
This program is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts – Learning in the Arts for Children & Youth, with support and funding from the Philadelphia School District.
Weekend Arabic & Drama Workshops
In spring 2008, we offered 10 weeks of Saturday workshops in Arabic and Drama, co-taught by Nehad Khader (Arabic Language) and Nahid Elgadi (Drama). Students created an original play in Arabic, which they performed at Al-Bustan Camp's Open House in April. These workshops were made possible through a grant from the Chace Fund, with in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Weekend Arabic & Art Workshops
In fall 2007, we offered 9 weeks of Saturday workshops in Arabic and Art,
taught by Nehad Khader (Arabic Language); with Nahid Elgadi (Drama) and Nadia Elokdah (Art); and Guest Artist Hamdi Attia. These workshops were made possible through a grant from the Chace Fund, with in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Weekend Arabic Percussion Workshops
From Jan through March 2007, we offered ten weeks of Saturday workshops for beginning drummers,
taught by master percussionist JOSEPH TAYOUN. The students participated in percussion demonstrations at John Moffett and Penn Alexander public schools. These workshops were made possible through the in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Weekend Dramatic Storytelling Workshops
From January through March 2007, we offered ten weeks of 2-hours of dramatic storytelling workshops taught by LEILA BUCK, Lebanese-American storyteller, performer and teaching artist. Open to students in 4th through 7th grade, the workshops introduced participants to the richness of Arab storytelling traditions and the techniques of dramatic storytelling, and sought to connect them to their own families, histories, identities and struggles. As the students began their explorations, the theme of passing on culture and identity through stories was of most interest to students and parents alike. The workshops culminated in five school/community performances-in-progress at John Moffett and Penn Alexander public schools, Germantown Friends and William Penn Charter independent schools, and the International House, with resource packets provided for teachers on Arab storytelling traditions. Through the process of children interviewing their parents, the ancient Arab tradition of preserving identity and culture despite geographical transitions began to find new expression here in Philadelphia and beyond. Excerpts of the students' stories will be posted here soon. These workshops were funded in part through
a grant from the Anna H. and Elizabeth M. Chace Fund of the Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and with the
in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Weekend Art and Bilingual Story Writing Workshops
In Fall 2006, we offered a series of eight 2-hour workshops
co-taught by RACHEL BLISS (artist) and SALLY BONET (elementary teacher). Workshops were open to students
in 1st through 7th grade with an interst in artmaking and storytelling,
no prior Arabic required. The theme of the workshops was the 14th
century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta. Students imagined Ibn Battuta
in the present day as he explored our contemporary world by air,
sea, and land, expressing their imagination through collage-making
techniques that incorporate Arabic/English text and drawing and
other visual imagery. A collective
storybook of the children's work is being compiled to be bound and displayed in exhibit, CD, and online. These workshops were funded in part through a grant
from the Anna H. and Elizabeth M. Chace Fund of the Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and with the
in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
Weekend Music/Dance/Drama Workshops and School
Performances
During December 2005 and January 2006, Al-Bustan
developed as a pilot initiative a series of weekend workshops based
on themes from the past two summers of camp. Led by JOSEPH TAYOUN
(musc teacher) and MICHELE TAYOUN (dance teacher), this initiative
entailed six Saturday workshops where teachers, musicians, counselors
and campers, with significant parent volunteer support, came together
to develop a script and rehearse an interactive presentation of
music, dance and drama about the14th century Moroccan traveler Ibn
Battuta in the souk. The performance was about the journey of Ibn
Battuta who left his hometown at the age of 21 years to make the
pilgrimage to Mecca and found his curiosity and desire for adventure
and knowledge kept him traveling for almost 30 years, working and
taking up residence in various cities along his journey. The stage
set included souk stalls and a mural created during 2005 Camp and
enhanced by a scroll of Ibn Battuta images made in 2004 Camp. The
workshops culminated in two school performances at The William Penn
Charter School and The Philadelphia School, where the response of
the students, teachers and administrators was overwhelming positive.In
preparation for the performances, Al-Bustan provided the schools
with a resource packet of readings and lesson plans on Ibn Battuta,
Arab souks, and Arabic music. This pilot initiative was funded through
the Middle East Center of the University of Pennsylvania, with the
in-kind contribution of The Rotunda.
School Presentations
A series of presentations was made by architect
Hazami Sayed, on the architecture and urban development of Islamic
Cairo and its traditional design and use of domestic spaces, at
several schools, among them William Penn Charter High School, West
Philadelphia Catholic High School, and Kimberton-Waldorf High School. In addition, presentations on the Arabic language, calligraphy and art were made at Friends Select School and Germantown Friends School.
Community Outreach
In 2003, at a reception hosted by the American
Friends Services Committee for a visiting Palestinian youth dance
troupe, IBDAA, many participants in Al-Bustan Camp had a chance
to meet with and share what they had learned at the Camp while participating
in a dance workshop led by the Palestinian dancers and open to the
public.
Each year after the end of Al-Bustan Camp, we
seek to widely share and display at various venues the children's
art projects. Their work has been displayed at the International
House, American Friends Services Committee headquarters in Philadelphia,
and the Penn Arab Student Society's Arab Heritage Display at the
University of Pennsylvania.
In 2004, an exhibit, entitled "Al-Bustan
Camp: Youthful Discoveries" by Hazami Sayed, was presented
at the International House in Philadelphia. The exhibit of black
and white and color photographs was a display of isolated fragments,
slices of time, of children partaking in camp, that attempts to
piece together a visual story conveying their experience -- youthful
minds discovering themselves while experiencing friendship, nature,
and culture. | 
