Blues City Cultural Center (BCCC)- ARTS FOR A BETTER WAY OF LIFE. For 40 years, BCCC has used the stage and other venues as platforms to enlighten, empower and transform lives. The organization’s founders, Levi and Deborah Frazier believe the foundation for change can be found in artistic endeavors that ultimately help people discover new ways of engagement, expression and self-determination. In viewing the arts as an inclusionary process, BCCC provides a space in which artists, audiences and stakeholders collaborate to explore the performing arts that broaden the spectrum of creative arts. The core values are the foundation upon which the theatre performs plays, conducts workshops and interacts with others, and the strategies used to fulfill the mission of the organization. While BCCC has evolved over the years, the values have remained constant and influence everything we do: Empowerment, Activism, Respect, and Access.
Artist Work Samples
Sample Programs Offered
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Beale Street was not only a street, but a culture where people gathered to celebrate life. Known as the place to be, Beale Street has received worldwide recognition. DOWN ON BEALE STREET highlights the history, citizens and the good times of such Beale Street spots as the Palace Theatre and Pee Wee’s Saloon. It also touches on the social and cultural significance of such institutions as Beale Street Baptist Church. The character MAN guides an aspiring blues singer through the lives of such figures of the thirties, forties and fifties as Ida Cox, B.B. King, W. C. Handy, Bessie Smith, and Lucie Campbell.
Youth who view this production will obtain a better understanding of Beale Street’s importance to Memphis history and American music.
Program Dates:
11/11/2019-07/19/2019, 10:00AM-11:30AM
Ticket Cost: $10
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
TICKLE THE RAIN, is 40 minute original folktale by Levi Frazier, Jr. that is set in West Africa. It tells the story of a heroic little boy, Ike, who sets out to save his village and the nearby forest and its animals from the torrential Rain that is flooding the land in search of her brother, The Rainbow. Incorporating the use of puppetry, creative writing, visual art, music and theatre, the students will collaborate creating the forest, the creatures, the village, and the sound effects in the story. In addition, the students will use their creativity to assist the brave Ike on his adventurous quest fraught with dangers at every turn. The script is based on an African cultural celebration utilizing storytelling, dance, music, and the visual arts. The play exposes students to modern life experiences through the arts.
Students will learn how to solve problems through abstraction, categorization, drawing conclusions, improving solutions, generating ideas, and creating and designing.
Students will be engaged in analytical thinking, practical thinking, creative thinking and research in the discussions prior to and after the performance.
Program Dates: 2/26/2020-3/20/2020
Ticket Cost: $5 per student
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Integration
Program Description:
PEACE IN THE HOUSE is a four-day conflict management, peace promotion workshop that integrates theatre, music, dance, and visual arts to educate and empower youth who may be susceptible to negative influences or high-risk behaviors. BCCC has found that the opportune period to implement preventive/intervention programs is during the elementary and middle school years before adverse behaviors become entrenched in young people’s lives. Therefore, PEACE IN THE HOUSE is ideal for students in grades 4–9 (ages 9-14). By working collaboratively with practicing artists and other trained professionals, students learn how decision-making, impulse control, and conflict resolution skills can be used to avoid or diffuse confrontations.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
