Ever wonder how actors make punches and sword fights look so realistic ? What about the process to get involved in podcasting ? Also , how do makeup artists create realistic zombies ?
Workshops to answer these questions , and much more , are coming to Frederick this summer , thanks to New Spire Arts , an organization dedicated to engaging the community and bringing performing arts education and programming to the area .
“ We hope that what we are going to do education wise is bring creative development and classes that don ’ t already exist here ,” says Elizabeth Lucas , producing artistic director . “ We are working at it from a lot of angles . We want to serve all ages . We want to serve the widest range of what it means to be in the performing arts from the media end to the traditional performing arts . For this summer , we wanted a ‘ taster ’ s menu ’ of sorts — to try some things out and see what people responded to ... We are going to start building year round programs from there , depending on what people are most excited about .” Other program offerings , which range in age from young children to adults , include Intro to Screenwriting , Hooked on Drums , Song & Sign , YouTube 101 , Stop Motion Film and Intro to Puppetry .
The organization began as the idea of area developer and philanthropist Marvin Ausherman . Buying the sites of the former Cultural Arts Center on Market and Patrick streets and the Board of Education building on East Church Street several years ago , the Ausherman Family Foundation officially started New Spire Arts in 2016 through a catalyzing grant .
The two venues will become available to the public progressively . Summer programs begin on the first floor of the East Church Street facility , known as New Spire Spaces , in June . The group spent the spring knocking down walls and finishing up renovations to create four studios and a media suite .
Designs have been approved for the former Cultural Arts Center in its reincarnation as a 200 to 300 seat theater space for local organizations . Lucas anticipates the site to be ready in a year . Plans also include putting in a casual stage and arts hub downstairs . “ We hope [ the amphitheater ] will be a performing arts resource for everybody in the county to use ,” Lucas says .
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