1975 was a time of uncertainty. The Fall of Saigon officially marked the end of the Vietnam War; a kidnapped heiress led to the rise of radical political factions; and the founding of Microsoft paved the way for personal computing. It was an era of upheaval, unrest, turmoil, and change; in many ways, a parallel to what we’re currently experiencing.
At that time, Santa Barbara was also experiencing change. Local events ushered in a sort of reawakening. We built the nation’s inaugural Earth Day Festival, the first Solstice Parade kicked off, and the Children’s Creative Project launched as a pilot dance program at Franklin Elementary.
For more than 50 years, the Children’s Creative Project (CCP) has been on a mission to share the arts with our community. “As a way to both honor 50 years of our legacy and celebrate 50 years of arts and culture in Santa Barbara, we are partnering with a number of organizations and artists to produce Piece Time,” says Children’s Creative Project (CCP) Executive Director Kai Tepper-Jahnke.
Piece Time, a play on words (think “peace” but also the pieces that come together to make our community) is the inaugural all-ages festival happening October 11 at Santa Barbara City College’s Great Meadow. The arts community will join CCP for a day of unification, music, and fun.
Joining the celebration is an investment not just for the individual, but our community. We are living in a time of unprecedented change; art is proven to have a significant impact on our future leaders, innovators, and change makers. “Children who engage in the arts are better learners,” Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us co-author Ivy Ross told the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. “Students with access to art education are five times less likely to drop out of school and four times more likely to be recognized with high achievement.”
The arts have always been integral to Santa Barbara. And the Children’s Creative Project has been an advocate for that transformative power since the ‘70s. Built as a reaction to Prop. 13, in which schools saw significant budget cuts to their arts programs, volunteers and arts advocates have continued to emphasize the impact arts has on future change makers.
Their role helps support the school districts by filling in the gaps in arts education, whether that’s lack of fundraising, transportation support, or expertise. They work with roughly 90 schools within the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, serving between 50 and 80 thousand students annually. Their specialized programs are tailored to the unique needs of each school site. “Our goal is to get to a place where every student has art every day,” says Tepper-Jahnke.
Much like 50 years ago, schools all over the country are facing significant federal funding cuts. So, like her predecessors before her, Tepper-Jahnke is reacting to this uncertainty. “We need joy,” she says. “We need something to celebrate — regardless of how old you are, joy is an expression of humanity and hope for the future.”
Empty Bowls Ceramics Committee is a primary partner; creative partners include Explore Ecology, Healing Justice Santa Barbara, Creative Netwerk, Grace Fisher Foundation, and many others. Musical performances by Mendeleyev, Spencer the Gardener, The New Vibe, and the all-ages band Whatever Forever. Art vendors include Dez Alaniz, Susan Connors, Deeta Katz, TKMuwic Natives, Mary Stanley, and more. Admission is $15 and includes a ceramic piece from Empty Bowls. Students 18 and under are free. Sunset Happy Hour from 5-7p.m. for adults 21 and over is $45 and includes Piece Time swag and two drink tickets. To learn more about Children’s Creative Project, visit ccp.sbceo.org.
