Arts Outreach
Enrichment Program
2025-26
From Our Executive Director
The new ASASE YAA ARTS OUTREACH PROGRAM
This past season, our Arts Outreach Program served 26 public and charter elementary, middle, and high schools within New York City. We are excited about launching a more robust and exciting program for the 2025-26 school year in support of the 25th Anniversary of the Asase Yaa Cultural Foundation.
Inspired by our theme, Legacy in Motion, we have carefully designed our workshops and instructional sessions around the engaging story of the original play, The Mad Scientist. We aim to encourage students to explore the play’s story, characters, and historical references in depth, fostering their artistic and personal growth.
Our theme reflects the enduring spirit of our instructors, who have been the gatekeepers in sustaining our legacy over the past fifteen years. We remain dedicated to creating a nurturing, secure, and safe learning environment for youth that encourages cultural exploration and achievement in the arts. We understand how to empower and uplift youth, keep them grounded, and intuitively recognize and express their light.
K. Osei Williams, Executive Director Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation
The genesis of our current program originated as T.E.A.C.H. in September 2012. In 2018, we rebranded it as Arts Outreach and expanded our services. The Mad Science is an original play written and directed by K. Osei Williams, Executive Director of Asase Yaa. The story is based on the wild adventures of a curious African scientist and his assistant. It initially premiered live at the Kumble Theater, Brooklyn, NY, in 2014. Our program has been consistently active over the past 16 years.
Our Asase Yaa Arts Outreach Program is aligned with the New York Department of Education’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards, which are designed to engage students in meaningful explorations of identity, community, and artistic expression. We also have verified status as one of the New York City Department of Education vendors:
Vendor #: ASA381871
Contract #: QR129CH
We welcome the opportunity to meet with you, to answer any questions you might have, and discuss a way for us to collaborate in bringing a special, tailored Arts Outreach program to your school.
K. Osei Williams
Executive Director
Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation
[email protected]
(646) 468-0710
HOW OUR ARTS OUTREACH ENRICHMENT PROGRAM WORKS
We developed our 2025-26 Arts Enrichment Program to offer schools imaginative in-school residencies that emulate the intrinsic core values of the Mad Scientist play:
We bring world-class cultural arts entertainment into your learning environment. Traditional African, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, and Modern Dance are taught in an immersive style, as is music instruction featuring arrangements from Ghana, Guinea, Cuba, and the Diaspora. The same is true for our theater, visual arts, and vocal instruction.
Each residency is uniquely different, but they all embody the same core values:
USING THE ARTS AS A LEARNING TOOL TO ENHANCE CREATIVITY, CONFIDENCE, FOCUS, DISCIPLINE, AND SOCIAL SKILLS
The consistent cultural framework authorizes young people to find their voices and share their vision; the structure inspires confidence and develops discipline.
THE SERVICES WE provide
Flexible Arts Outreach Programs
Our Arts Outreach program offers these options:
- Full-year (35-37 weeks, Sept ’25 – June ‘26)
- Half-year (17 weeks, Sept ’25 – Dec ’25 or Jan ’26 – June ‘26)
- Accelerated twelve-weeks in-school Residencies
Each tailored to meet the diverse needs and timelines of partner schools and community organizations.
Additionally, we can present a one-time professional-level production of the Mad Scientist or a one-hour interactive workshop-style class in dance, drumming, visual arts, and theater.
Youth Performances and Productions
We can also produce school and community events that feature performances by youth from our School of the Arts, including our original musical theater productions, dance, and drum ensembles.
Expert Instructors and Mentors
Our instructors are some of New York’s most respected teaching and performing veterans who share expert knowledge of worldwide cultures and arts traditions. They can easily build rapport with students and are experienced at collaborating harmoniously with school professionals.
Wide Range of Performing Arts
We offer multiple performing arts genres, including African and African diasporic dance, African drumming, musical theater, vocal, ballet, tap, martial arts, hip hop, modern dance, acting, visual arts, and instrumental performance.
Cultural and Historical Enrichment
Our curriculum also focuses on disseminating knowledge related to African, Caribbean, and African American history and cultural art forms, which enriches children’s educational, social, and physical development.
Arts as Essential Life Skills
We strongly believe that the arts promote tenacity, creativity, confidence, and critical thinking, which are essential and complementary to the educational and learning process for developing thriving young students.
Serving K–12 Students
Our students range from kindergarten through the 12th grade.
THe MAD SCIENTIST SCRIPT OVERVIEW
45-MINUTE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Mad Scientist is an interactive ensemble performance inspired by the original play. The play takes students on an imaginative journey that blends history, science, African traditions, music, and movement. Through short-acting scenes, Djembe drumming, vernacular dances, and interactive songs, students experience how creativity and curiosity shape both science and the arts.
Below is a brief script overview of each segment of the play.
Click through to view each segment.
CORE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Theatre
The Play: “The Mad Scientist”
Mad Scientist uses theater as a playground for imagination, where students explore innovation, history, and self-discovery. Inspired by the narrative stories of African American scientists and inventors, young people step into the world of discovery and experimentation, not just in science, but in their own ideas and artistic voices. Using dynamic and interactive theater practices, students explore themes of invention, history, and self-discovery by embodying characters who dare to ask, “What if?” and “Why not?”
Content
Teaching theater techniques through exploration and performance of the original production, Mad Scientist.
Disciplines
Acting, Dramatic Storytelling, Improvisation, Performance Preparation
Duration
Tailored to meet each school’s needs
Additional Program Highlights
Perception exercises, creative expression, performance practices, exploring historical and cultural narratives, script development, developing multiple acting roles, integrating dance and drumming components, refining expressive performance skills, and weekly evaluations and assessments across all categories.
DRUMMING
West African Djembe Drum Program
The West African Djembe Drum Program aims to instruct students in traditional and modern drumming and percussion techniques that incorporate the polyrhythms essential to Djembe music in West Africa, including Mali, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. The program builds students’ skills and progress gradually, starting with a historical understanding of the culture and combining that with technical mastery of the instrument.
Content
Students will learn foundational skills in classical percussion styles from West Africa, which will give them the artistic experience to eventually become masters. them to become masters. Weekly assessments will measure their progress and development in all areas.
Disciplines
West African Djembe Drumming emphasizing proper technique, posture, rhythmic proficiency, and comprehension of historical context. Learning Djembe drumming styles significantly improves youth’s motor skills, emotional intelligence, and cultural empathy. It can also boost their self-esteem and coping abilities.
Duration
Tailored to meet each school’s needs
Additional Program Highlights
Students will learn four traditional and four contemporary rhythms each semester, building a versatile rhythmic repertoire each semester. Classes are divided into 30 minutes of firsthand drumming, 10 minutes of African musical traditions discussions or readings, and 10 minutes of maintenance training for instrument care.
Youth will also learn a new vocabulary that is paramount to understanding the Djembe art form, such as Dununba, Sangba, Kenkeni, Mandingue, Bass, Tone, Slap, Rudiments, Rhythm, Polyrhythms, Tempo, Cadence, Pace, Measure, Pulse, Melody, Percussion, Ensemble, and Discipline.
Dance
Afrobeat and Hip Hop for Mad Scientist
The Mad Scientist Dance program introduces students to Afrobeat and Hip Hop techniques, using dance as a storytelling tool inspired by the energy and themes of the play.
Content
Students will learn contemporary Afrobeat and Hip Hop dance techniques while connecting movement to the characters and themes of Mad Scientist. They will also learn how choreographed dancing and music can be intertwined and complementary in bringing characters and stories to life.
Disciplines
Dance, coordination, confidence, body awareness, building self-esteem, and mastering fundamentals such as isolations, precision, performance quality, and choreography.
Duration
Tailored to meet each school’s needs
Additional Program Highlights
Students will gain valuable knowledge from 50 sessions. They will learn how to use dance to communicate and express themselves, and how it can be powerful in storytelling.
How have Afrobeat and Hip Hop evolved? How does dance differ when used for storytelling on stage versus at a cultural celebration? What qualities make Afrobeat and Hip Hop unique for creative expression?
We observe and evaluate students’ ability to perform steps with rhythm and precision. We also assess their ability to balance the natural polyrhythmic feel of the dance styles with expressing their emotions to enhance the story. All they need are comfortable rehearsal clothes and sneakers.
Choir
Mad Scientist Choral Ensemble
The Mad Scientist Choral Ensemble Program uses singing and rapping as storytelling tools. Students join as members of a vocal group that performs original, traditional, and modern songs and lyrics to amplify the themes and characters in Mad Scientist. Each class includes 10 minutes of music discussion, 10 minutes of technique exercises, and 30 minutes of vocal practice. They will learn two traditional ensemble pieces and two contemporary vocal or rap-based compositions inspired by Mad Scientist.
Content
Students will learn choral history, vocal techniques, ensemble singing, and the use of spoken word and rap within a musical context. The program focuses on using the power of the voice in singing and rapping, and when done effectively, how it can fuel stronger connectivity and heartfelt expression. Students are also encouraged to explore and blend different vocal traditions and contemporary styles to forge a distinctive artistic identity and voice for themselves.
Disciplines
Singing/rapping, unison singing, harmony, call-and-response, a cappella, spoken word/rap, and performance with accompaniment. They will build skills in tone production, harmony, articulation, diction, breath control, and stage presence.
Additional Program Highlights
In addition to developing students as singers and rappers, they will learn about the significant role lyrics play in songwriting and will create new songs inspired by the Mad Scientist. They will be evaluated weekly on their grasp of the core techniques, stage presence, understanding of the historical influences of the music, and the level of their overall contribution to the choir ensemble. Learning tools will include sheet music, audio tracks, and occasionally, performing with simple instrumental accompaniment.
Want to know more?
Enter your information below to access program fees and additional costs. After you fill out this order request, you will receive an email with our pricing information. We will contact you to go over details and availability before the work order is completed. If you would like faster service and direct information on current programs and pricing please contact us at contact us at (646) 468-0710 or [email protected].
CONTACT ASASE YAA
Kofi Osei Williams
Executive Director, Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation
[email protected]
(646) 468-0710