27th Annual Pittsburgh International Children's Festival

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Presents:
 The 27th Annual Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival
May 15-19, 2013
Preview Opportunities:
Monday, May 13 & Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Festival Information: www.PGHKIDS.org | Box Office: 412-456-6666

Festival Overview
The Festival is presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and programming division, Pittsburgh International Children's Theater.  Pittsburgh currently hosts one of only four international theater festivals for children in the United States.  Over 100 performances and activities draw upwards of 20,000 visitors each year with the goal of promoting an understanding of and appreciation for different cultures. The Children’s Festival has presented over 500 performing arts companies from over 40 countries.

Giant Eagle is the presenting sponsor of this year's Pittsburgh International Children's Festival with the generous help of Citiparks, the University of Pittsburgh, the Parks Conservancy and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.  This year, the Festival is pleased to welcome featured performers from Australia, Russia, Ireland, the United Kingdom and United States.  Each performance will be as educational as it is fun, and throughout the Festival, children are encouraged to participate in the process.  Additionally, the Festival will have free hands-on activities and performances at two free outdoor Community Stages.  The Festival will once again take place in the beautiful green spaces surrounding Schenley Plaza and the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland.

Below is a list of various media opportunities during the Festival.  Additional interview opportunities may be available upon request.

Monday, May 13 (Preview)
The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly
In Studio Interview with Louis Lovette, Co-Founder of Theatre Lovette (Ireland)

*Louis Lovett leads the audience on an adventure that crosses snowy lands and wild seas. All the while, Peggy sings with the voice of an angel—a grossly unfortunate angel, who can’t sing at all. As Peggy desperately tries to save the day, we learn about love, loss, the reassurance of goats, and the courage to sing gloriously on-or off-key.

In Studio Interview with Pam Lieberman, Executive Director-Pittsburgh International Children's Theater / Manager of Children's Theater Programming-Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Tuesday, May 14 (Preview)
The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly
In Studio Interview with Louis Lovette, Co-Founder of Theatre Lovette (Ireland)

Tuesday, May 14 (Preview)
Preview Reception
Time: 6:30-7:00 pm - Preview of Exxopolis by Architects of Air(Nottingham, UK)

Location: Mazeroski Field, Corner of Clemente Drive & Schenley Drive (Across from the Frick Fine Arts Building)

*Join us for this preview of Architects of Air outdoor luminaria installation: Exxopolis.  This installation was inspired from natural geometry and architecture and occupies half of a soccer field and rises to the height of a 3-story house!  This giant structure will astonish you with its colorful domes and beautiful stained glass effects.  Appropriate for all ages.

RSVP opening reception, Tuesday, May 14:
Diana Roth / roth@trustarts.org / 412-471-8717


Wednesday, May 15th
Opening Ceremonies
Time: 9:30am -  Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Location: Mazeroski Field, Corner of Clemente Drive & Schenley Drive (Across from the Frick Fine Arts Building)

*Photo/video/interview opportunity and media guests will be invited to walk through the installation.

Wednesday, May 15th
Dinosaur Petting Zoo
Time: After 2 pm
In Studio Interview with the artists from Erth Visual & Physical Inc.(Australia)

*Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo transports you to the Australian outback where a rugged ranger and trusty dino keeper introduce you to a menagerie of Mesozoic monsters from around the world. Operated by supremely skilled puppeteers, every dino responds instantly to the audience for an intimate, authentic encounter.

Thursday, May 16th
Dinosaur Petting Zoo
Time: Before 8:15am or Between 2-5pm
In Studio Interview with the artists from Erth Visual & Physical Inc. (Australia)

Thursday, May 16th
Aga-Boom
Time: TBD
On set photo and interview opportunity with artists from 1 to 1 Entertainment (Russia/USA)

Location: Charity Randall Theatre, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Oakland

*Jump head-first into unbridled silliness with the clown clean-up crew—three former starts of Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and the Moscow Circus. Rooted in the unique style of theatrical clowning, Aga-Boom brings together the best traditions of circus arts, physical comedy and European avant-garde.

Thursday, May 16th
Dinosaur Petting Zoo
Time: Before 8:15am or Between 2-5pm
On set photo and interview opportunity with artists from Erth Visual & Physical Inc. (Australia)

Location:Bellefield Hall Auditorium, 315 South Bellefield Avenue, Oakland

*****

RSVP opening reception, Tuesday, May 14:
Diana Roth / roth@trustarts.org / 412-471-8717

Media contacts:
Shaunda Miles / miles@trustarts.org / 412-471-1578
Saul Markowitz / Markowitz Communications / saul@markowitzcommunications.com /
(cell): 412-977-8517 / (office): 412-577-5140
Diana Roth / roth@trustarts.org / 412-471-8717

Pittsburgh International Children's Festival press release and event photos are available at: http://www.TrustArts.org/press
Search: Children's Festival 2013

Complete Festival schedule is available at www.PGHKIDS.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Calling All Kids for PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest

WQED PITTSBURGH IS CALLING ALL KIDS FOR ANNUAL WRITERS CONTEST


PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest encourages children to create original stories and illustrations



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 18, 2012

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED PITTSBURGH IS CALLING ALL KIDS FOR ANNUAL WRITERS CONTEST

PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest encourages children to create original stories and illustrations

PITTSBURGH – WQED Pittsburgh is kicking off the new year with the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest for students in grades kindergarten through third, a national initiative designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. 2012 marks the eighteenth year that WQED has offered the Contest to the region and the third year that EQT Corporation is sponsoring WQED’s contest in partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WV PBS.) Also partnering with WQED this year is Penn State Public Broadcasting (WPSU) which serves central Pennsylvania. A central website, writeonkids.org, provides information about the Contest and the local enrichment opportunities offered in each station area.

“By offering the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest to our region, we are encouraging early learners to explore their creativity while developing essential literacy skills,” said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED. “WQED’s commitment to literacy and to nurturing children’s creative expression is unwavering, and we are delighted to offer this Contest again locally in partnership with our sister stations, WV PBS and WPSU. Research shows that creative writing can enhance and improve a child’s literacy development, and through this Contest, we are helping prepare children for learning and success, in school and beyond.”

Beginning January 14, 2012, WQED, WV PBS, WPSU and other PBS stations throughout the country will work with schools, public libraries and other education organizations to implement the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest in their communities. To celebrate the beginning of the Contest and distribute related materials, WQED will host the openings of two new PBS KIDS Library Corners, the first in the region, at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie on January 26 and at the Homestead Library on February 2. These events, primarily for school groups, will also feature appearances by characters from the popular PBS KIDS programs, SUPER WHY! and The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! The Saturday Light Brigade, a key local partner in the 2012 Contest, will also install and debut two new Story Boxes that highlight winning stories from the 2011 Contest, read by the student authors themselves. A Story Box is a wall-mounted or tabletop box, the face of which contains pictures with “hot spots” that are pressed to hear audio tracks.

For more information on the PBS KIDS Writers Contest in West Virginia, Southwestern Pennsylvania, and Central Pennsylvania, including entry forms, rules, contest resources, and local event listings, go to www.writeonkids.org

In order to equip parents and teachers to best support their students’ contest entries, WQED will conduct three one-hour webinars on issues related to writing and illustration.

To register for:

• “Writing and Editing” January 25 at 3:30 p.m. with elementary school teacher Caley Svensson;

• “Ideation to Storyboarding” February 8 at 3:30 p.m. with local children’s author Michael Scotto;

• “Illustration” March 7 at 3:30 p.m. with Joe Wos, Executive Director of the Toonseum

go to www.writeonkids.org or click on the webinar titles above.

WQED, WV PBS and WPSU will select local winners and award prizes. Local winners will be entered into the national level of the Contest where a panel of judges will select the winners. National winners will be announced and prizes – including tablets, e-readers and MP3 players – will be awarded during summer 2012.

For the second year in a row, WQED has partnered with The Saturday Light Brigade to invite winners and honorable mentions from the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest to record their stories live in the Saturday Light Brigade radio studios at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh; these recordings will be made on April 28. Winning stories will be aired by The Saturday Light Brigade as part of their Youth Expression Showcase, archived on SLB's website, matched with individual author’s stories in the “Previous Winners” section of the Contest website, and included in new versions of The Saturday Light Brigade’s contest storyboxes.

This year’s winners’ celebration will be held in the historic Fred Rogers’ Studio at WQED in Oakland on May 12 and will feature performances of the winners’ stories that have been transformed into puppet plays.


About WQED Pittsburgh

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.


About Penn State Public Broadcasting

Penn State Public Broadcasting serves central Pennsylvania with programming, educational services and community outreach. Its public media services produce, acquire and distribute programs that address local interests and reflect the diverse cultural, political, geographic and demographic characteristics of an audience within central Pennsylvania.


About West Virginia Public Broadcasting

West Virginia Public Broadcasting nurtures personal growth, promotes civic responsibility and inspires lifelong discovery through high-quality programming and services. West Virginia Public Radio, West Virginia PBS, wvpubcast.org and Ready To Learn® are all services of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The Friends of West Virginia Public Broadcasting is a 501(c)3 organization responsible for receiving donated funds from individuals for annual membership to West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Friends serve as ambassadors in their communities on behalf of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

All of the licenses for West Virginia Public Broadcasting are held by the West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, Kay Goodwin, Secretary.


About Saturday Light Brigade

SLB Radio Productions, Inc. (SLB) uses radio and audio to encourage, amplify, share and archive the ideas, stories, and feelings of children, youth and families. SLB believes in radio and audio because these technologies enable a sense of intimacy, engagement and self-directed imagination that is often lacking in other media, while also promoting opportunities for privacy (given that children need not be photographed), equal access (audio has fewer barriers for participation than other media), and sharpening of important life skills (i.e., speaking and listening, imagination, creative expression, and critical thinking, respect for others, confidence and cooperation, and technical curiosity).


About PBS KIDS GO!

PBS KIDS GO! offers early elementary children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. For more information on specific PBS KIDS GO! content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, join our community online on Twitter and Facebook, or visit pbskidsgo.org.
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Posted on behalf of Joanne Quinn-Smith by Joyce Kane.  Joyce is the Owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Carnegie Library Foundation Center NonProfit Programs

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Foundation Center


July 2011

To register for any of the following programs, please call the Foundation Center at 412-622-6277.



Building a Major Gift Program

Date: Saturday, July 9, 2011

Time: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Major gifts are contributed by individuals, foundations, and corporation, and play a significant role in an organization’s fundraising success. They are most commonly secured through personal solicitation and form an essential component of a successful nonprofit fundraising program. In this class, you will find out what characteristics major gift prospects share, how to tell the difference between suspects and prospects, and how to secure larger contributions for your nonprofit organization. You’ll discover the important steps to a successful solicitation and have the opportunity to role-play in a safe environment.

The speaker, Teresa A. Gregory, CFRE, is a Senior Partner of Pinnacle Fundraising Consultants, LLC. Teresa has a 25 year track record as a high-level, results oriented fundraiser with extensive experience in all aspects of development and nonprofit management. She has directed campaigns of $200,000 to $20 million for a wide variety of organizations. Teresa is also a Professional-in-residence at Point Park University in the Sports, Arts & Entertainment Management Program.

Event fee: $20 *

Location: Mt. Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Blvd. – Meeting Room A





Computer Resources for Nonprofits (Free)

Dates: Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

This hands-on session introduces attendees to the electronic databases that are available for free at the Foundation Center, including: Guidestar, NOZASearch, Foundation Grants to Individuals, and Foundation Directory Online. Sample searches are conducted in each database to demonstrate the capabilities of each application. A brief introduction to the highlights of the main Foundation Center home page is included.

Location: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – PC Center, 4400 Forbes Avenue (3rd Floor)





Demystifying the 990 PF (Free)

Date: Thursday, July 21, 2011

Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

This workshop provides an in-depth look at the 990 PF, the tax return filed by private foundations with the Internal Revenue Service. The most crucial components of the 990 PFs for grantseekers will be discussed, as well as how to easily access these documents on the Internet.


The speaker will be Jim Lutton, Foundation Center manager for 11 years, until retiring in 2009.

Location: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – PC Center, 4400 Forbes Avenue (3rd Floor)





Foundation Center Orientation (Free)

Date: Friday, July 22, 2011

Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM


Our one-hour Orientation introduces attendees to the kinds of resources and services available through the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Foundation Center, a Cooperating Collection of The Foundation Center in New York City. This monthly session is recommended specifically for those who are new to grantseeking or just unfamiliar with what we offer.

Location: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Foundation Center, 4400 Forbes Avenue (2nd Floor)





Effective Marketing for Nonprofits

Date: Friday, July 29, 2011

Time: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM


While there are myriad new marketing tools to tempt today’s professionals, but don’t get too starry-eyed about the means without considering the end -- effectiveness! Is your message clear? Do you have a true picture of your audience? What do they value? This training will stress the key themes of: Identifying your goals/audiences; Crafting a compelling message; Knowing & evaluating your communication options; Target, target, target! One size generally doesn’t fit all. Examples and exercises will provide the tools you can immediately put to use as soon as you get back to the office.

The speaker, Diane Wuycheck, has 35+ years of corporate, nonprofit and agency experience in public and media relations, community relations and business development/marketing, crisis and issues management.

Diane has developed integrated marketing communications plans for a broad range of clients and her portfolio features clients in more than 60 local nonprofit organizations. In addition to her role as consultant, Diane has been an adjunct professor of nonprofit public relations at Duquesne University and La Roche College.

Event fee: $20 *

Location: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Downtown & Business, 612 Smithfield Street

* Fees can be paid at the door with either cash or check made payable to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

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Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Foundation Center

is a Cooperating Collection of The Foundation Center in New York City.