Asian Cultural Association of Central Florida

Education Programming

The Asian Cultural Association’s award winning education programs include three important projects which are ongoing and provided free of charge to all the participants. These three programs have reached more than 20,000 k-12 students in the last four years and won prestigious awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Best Community Arts Educator Award from United Arts of Central Florida. The Annual in Class Lecture/Demonstration Series which began in 1994 brings international and local Indian musicians into the classroom to teach about Indian music and culture and reaches more than 6,500 students in the Central Florida area annually. World of Drums: The Midway Elementary School Project, which is teaching intensive tabla to a selected group of students, and World of Dance: The Millennium Middle School Project, which will be the first ever attempt to teach traditional Bharata Natyam in the public school system, are specific programs targeted at smaller groups of students and are developed in partnerships with the participating schools. In addition, each year the ACA brings internationally acclaimed musician and teacher Nandkishor Muley to Central Florida where he participates in all ACA education programming and teaches courses in Indian music at Stetson University, Rollins College and the University of Central Florida.

The Asian Cultural Association gratefully acknowledges the support of the Seminole Cultural Arts Council. ACA education programs are funded in part by the Seminole Cultural Arts Council, Inc.

THESE EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE SPONSORED IN PART BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF
CENTRAL FLORIDA.

Annual Events:

SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL Held each year in April at the Enzian Theatre Each year the ACA produces the South Asian Film Festival at the Enzian Theatre. The Festival is the result of an enormously successful program which each year brings four exciting internationally recognized films of Asian filmmakers to the Enzian and introduces mainstream western audiences to the contemporary themes and filmmakers of South Asia. In cooperation with the Enzian Theatre ACA presents four films over at three day weekend festival, and sponsors lectures and presentations by featured filmmakers.

FESTIVAL OF INDIAN DANCE AND MUSIC

Held each year in September Each year ACA sponsors an exciting all day festival featuring traditional dance and music performances, workshops, and lecture/demonstrations by acclaimed international Indian artists, as well as performances, by local Indian artists. The Festival features the great artists of traditional instruments such as Tabla, Harmonium, Sarod, and Tanpura, amazing vocalists, and the rich and exotic dancing of Kathak and Bharata Natyam. Each year is a cornucopia of the rich and vibrant dance and music of India.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Every season ACA plans a series of special programming in addition to our annual events. These programs are sometimes concerts like the Masters of Percussion concerts featuring Tabla Master Zakir Hussain, or visual arts programming like the 1998 photo exhibit at Creadle School of Art, Dayanita Singh:Contemporary Photography of India, or exciting performances like the dancers of the Chhaya Academy of Arts from Mumbai, India and last years breathtaking exhibit Puja:The Art of Religion at the Maitland Art Center. Each season brings new and exciting ways to experience the beautiful art and culture of India. Watch for our upcoming events, there is always something for everyone.