FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center has appointed Natalia Bernal to the newly created staff position, Education & Community Engagement Manager.
“We could not be more delighted to be welcoming someone with so much multi-national education and arts experience in this new position,” says Executive Director Janis Martinson. “The Mahaiwe has a well-established school fieldtrip program supplemented with interactive fare, such as the recent intergenerational performance-making workshop, Mind the Gap. Community engagement efforts, similarly, have grown in recent years to include not only free programs and collaborations with social service partners, but also robust Spanish-language programming. I am confident Natalia will build on those foundations to help us better serve every segment of our community.”
“I am looking forward to bringing as many learning opportunities as possible to the children and families of our community, as well as culturally enriching experiences to all,” says Bernal.
Bernal has a degree in Music Business from Berklee College of Music, a degree in Contemporary Music from Escuela Moderna de Música in Santiago, Chile, and an extensive background in Education and Arts Administration. She is a vocalist and composer with 25 years of experience as a Latin Jazz and Andean Jazz performer. Originally from Chile, Bernal is a Spanish, Portuguese, and English speaker. Bernal can be contacted at nbernal@mahaiwe.org.
The Education & Community Engagement Manager builds relationships between the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and the communities it serves; plays a visible role in the community; advises the programming team on education and community programs; enlists participation in programming by individuals, schools, and social service organizations; and leads and builds consensus among volunteers. Specifically, the Education & Community Engagement Manager makes all arrangements related to school field trips, in-school artist residencies, the Partnering with Latinx Communities Program, and other efforts and events that broaden audience inclusion. The Mahaiwe received grants from Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Arts Builds Community Initiative and Lee Bank Foundation to help fund this newly created position.
About the Mahaiwe
Located in downtown Great Barrington, Mass., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is the year-round presenter of world-class music, dance, theater, classic films, Live in HD broadcasts, and arts education programs for the southern Berkshires and neighboring regions. The intimate jewel box of a theater opened in 1905. Since 2005, the performing arts center has hosted over 1,500 events and welcomed over half a million people through its doors. More than 25,700 students from 73 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
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