) for "The Little
Theatre of the Deaf," a program that provides educational partnerships
with schools, communities, and students to promote awareness of Deaf
Culture and exposure to American Sign Language.

* Tampa Museum of Art (Tampa, Fla .

* Young Audiences of Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga. Louis (St. Louis, Mo.

* City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, Pa.I.) for "Tell It
Like It Is!," a theater music program where students create an original
piece to educate peers about important issues for students with
disabilities.

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts to Hold U.S. Auditions in Austin; Internationally Acclaimed School Was Co-Founded By Paul McCartney

to audition for the prestigious school
without the expense of traveling to Liverpool.m.

In the meantime, Featherstone-Witty had been excited about the 1980 film,
Fame, because it inspired him to think about what training would have best
prepared him for his acting career and others in the performing arts.

MECA's Go Team Presents Go Theatre. Go Education . Go Get It.

Business Editors/Education Editors

HOUSTON----MECA is proud to be a
part of the Go Theatre program.gotheatre.

education top

Arts Organizations Advance Inclusive Education Programs for
Students With Disabilities

WASHINGTON, VSA arts and MetLife Foundation today
announced the awardees for "Arts Connect All. The goal is to develop teaching practices that
enable more people with disabilities to experience the social development and
artistic opportunities provided through arts learning.) for "Access to
Theatre," an after-school program and summer camp that uses all aspects
of theater as an educational tool to help youth learn in a non-
traditional setting.
"We are happy to support organizations that create opportunities for
everyone to experience and learn through the arts. For more information
about MetLife Foundation , please visit http://www. to 6:00 p.
"We are so pleased to offer auditions in the U.S."
LIPA opened in 1996 with nearly 190 students.)
Students study a range of diploma and degree programs in audio engineering,
technical theater, theater design, popular music, arts management, acting and
dance.
Popular Austin performer Django Walker is a graduate of LIPA. Eventually, he honed his ideas
into a blueprint for a new type of training and by 1985, he had nearly 50
artists, directors , choreographers and entrepreneurs backing him. It was
around this time that he was introduced to McCartney. As luck would have it,
at about the same time, the City of Liverpool was looking into initiatives
which could build on the city's reputation as a music city. Like MECA, Go Theatre uses the arts as
guidance for high school kids from the Houston area." (1) With financial and technical support from the Go
Theatre Project and under the direction of Carlos Henderson, MECA's Go
Team will generate performances throughout the year.org/about/Organized.cfm ; Internet; accessed 4
February 2005.

comedy theatre

) for "Partners in Art," an outreach
program for six Hillsborough County schools that uses the creative
processes of painting and photography to raise awareness and
appreciation of community diversity.

* Partners for Youth with Disabilities (Boston, Mass .

* Center Stage Associates (Baltimore, Md.

A distinguished panel of professionals , Ann-Ellen Lesser, director, AE-L
Projects; Gordon Sasaki, artist educator, Museum of Modern Art; and Barbara
Shepherd, director of national partnerships -- education, John F. Recognizing the arts ' contribution to the health, vitality, and
development of our communities, the Foundation is committed to increasing
access to the arts and promoting diversity and inclusion.org. The auditions will be held on
Saturday, April 9th, at 501 Post/501 Audio located at 501 North IH 35 in
Austin, from 10:00 a. LIPA was co-founded by Paul McCartney
and Mark Featherstone-Witty. Featherstone-Witty will be in Austin for the
auditions.cullen@lipa.
This is a marvelous opportunity for school districts , libraries,
and community centers to preview MECA's Go Team.

What: MECA Go Theatre Team Performance

When: Friday
February 18, 2005
At 5:00 p.

education performing

The following ten organizations will receive grants up to $15,000 to
continue their work in creating inclusive learning environments that engage
students of all abilities:

* Deaf West Theatre (North Hollywood, Calif. Currently, five million people participate in VSA arts programs
each year through a network of affiliates nationwide and in more than 60
countries around the world.vsarts.

S. auditions in Austin on
April 9, 2005., and are especially pleased
to have them in Austin, a city where music is such an important part of the
culture. Now, there are 650 students
from 35 countries worldwide. (Roughly 40 come from the United States . At the time, McCartney was looking for a way to help his
hometown of Liverpool and had discovered that the 1825 building where he had
attended school (then the Liverpool Institute for Boys) was in a state of
decay. He formed a
charity called the Schools for Performing Arts Trust (SPA Trust ).

youth education

) for "Understanding Physical
Disabilities and Preventing Childhood Injury," a disability awareness
program using the power of puppetry to encourage acceptance and
inclusion of children with disabilities.

* The Providence Black Repertory Company (Providence, R. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts, reviewed and evaluated the entries.
"It is important to recognize , applaud, and support organizations that
successfully involve all students in programs designed to foster an
environment that creates awareness, understanding, and respect for everyone,"
said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. We join VSA arts in
applauding the winning organizations for their commitment and exemplary work
and commend VSA arts for its national leadership in promoting arts access and
inclusion," commented Sibyl Jacobson, president of MetLife Foundation.

About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to support various
educational , health and welfare, and civic and cultural organizations across
the country. VSA
arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and tools they
can use to support arts programming in their schools and communities;
showcases the accomplishments of visual and performing artists with
disabilities; and promotes increased access to the arts for people with
disabilities.m.lipa .ac.

Background on LIPA
Beatles producer George Martin first introduced Paul McCartney and Mark
Featherstone-Witty. "Its goal is to
use the arts and student mentors to reach out to underserved high
school students. Due to the
graciousness of the College for Texans Campaign, all MECA Go Team
performances are offered free of charge, whether at MECA or at a venue
of your choosing. Valdez at 713-802-9370 extension 26.m.

comedy acting

VSA arts and MetLife Foundation Announce 'Arts Connect All' Awardees

" This initiative is a funding
opportunity designed to encourage arts organizations to strengthen
partnerships with local public schools through the creation or enhancement of
accessible education programs.

* National Theatre of the Deaf (West Hartford, Conn.

* STAGES St. To learn more about VSA arts, please visit
http://www.org. AUSTIN, Texas, The Liverpool Institute for
Performing Arts (LIPA) has announced plans to hold U.
"LIPA provides a tremendous learning experience for many young people who
want to enter the music business and other performing arts, " said McCartney. The British
band "The Zutons," scheduled to play at the South By Southwest Music Festival
in Austin in March, are also graduates of LIPA.ac.

Contact: Meg Meo
Elizabeth Christian + Associates Public Relations
512-494-2867 or mmeo@echristianpr .com

Being part of the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) College for Texans
Campaign, MECA's Go Team will produce shows focusing on higher
education.meca-houston. MECA offers classical
and ethnic arts education and support services to approximately 1,500
students a year , and over 3,000 students participate in MECA
workshops, residencies, and projects. MECA has served Houston's First
Ward, Sixth Ward, Near Northside, and Heights Districts since 1977,
providing a variety of arts education opportunities, community
performances, public art, and cultural celebrations .

(1) Go Theatre (Web Site) (2005); available from
http://www.

top youth

) for "In-School Workshops"
and "ASL Story Time," programs that promote cultural and theatrical
experiences that are culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate,
and fully accessible for deaf and hearing children from all walks of
life.) for "The Artist Residency
Project," a residency program in inclusive educational practices for
kindergarten-grade 12 that begins with professional development in
learning strategies and activities for teachers and teaching artists.

* Kids on the Block (Portland, Ore.

About VSA arts
Founded in 1974 as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization dedicated
to the participation of people with disabilities in the arts and society. The highly regarded performing arts college rarely holds
auditions in the United States, so this event will provide an opportunity for
students from throughout the U.S.uk . Over time, plans
crystallized into what later became LIPA.org
Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA) is
a community -based, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote
the healthy social, cultural, and academic development of at-risk,
inner-city youth through education in the arts.

comedy top

) for "Encounter," a residency
program for high school students that uses theater as a medium for
learning, community building, and creative self-expression.) for "Access the Arts," a program to
provide inclusive instruction and participation in musical theater that
develops students' creativity and imagination , as well as motor and
communication skills.) for "City Theatre Artsbridge," a
program for students to create and perform an original theater piece
that integrates visual theater techniques.metlife. Music is the largest program, where students can study styles ranging
from rock to rhythm + blues, production and performance.
For information about audition requirements, visit http://www.uk or email
LIPA's International Administrator, Cath Cullen, at c. The film
gave him the idea that performing artists, while focusing on one performing
skill, needed to learn the other two as well. To book a Go Team show at your location, please
contact Clarissa L.

Where: MECA
1900 Kane
Houston, Texas 77007

Admission: Free + Open to the Public

For more information please visit MECA's website at
www . MECA's 28-year
presence has given families and youth a positive sense of themselves,
their community , and their culture.