As I said in my last blog post (which you can read by clicking
here) I have been in Florence for just about a month now for an internship that I am completing through Performing Arts Abroad. Now, you may be wondering, what exactly Performing Arts Abroad is. Let me do my best to explain.
Performing Arts Abroad was founded by Reynolds Whalen in 2009. This organization that Reynolds built celebrates not just the arts, but also all cultures of the world, travels with intentions, and connections with other human beings. The world really is your stage with PAA, whether that be in music, dance, film, theatre, etc. PAA continues to help fight for keeping what arts programs there are in schools alive, and even adding to them. Program participants can teach classes in school programs, orphanages, and more so that those who may not have access to the arts are able to learn about them and make a human connection through them. PAA also aids those in the performing arts world in obtaining jobs. The performing arts industry is a tough one, but with a PAA program listed on one's resume, and even connections made in internships, PAA participants have an extra little something that helps in getting a job. There are also Arts for Social Change programs that allow and aid participants in helping develop areas of need in different communities. As you can see, PAA offers many different types of programs. From volunteering to interning, and study abroad to training programs, there is something for everyone in the arts world.
For me, I was called to the performing arts internship in Florence. Since there are different options one can select while signing up for this program, I will just share with you my own personal experience thus far.
First off, I chose to stay in Florence for a total of 7 weeks. During the first three weeks, I took a beginners level class in Italian language at the Florence University of the Arts. At FUA, classes are Monday through Thursday, and my Italian language class was every morning from 9.00 to 11.30. Everyone in my class was very nice and I loved the teacher. On the first Saturday, there was also a class field study (which from what I learned is something that every course at FUA has). Each class can end up going somewhere else, but my class went to Settignano. While there is an option to get credit for this class transferred to your home university, I did not. Even though I was not taking the class for credit though, I did try my best and finished at the end of the three weeks with an A.
In addition to my Monday through Thursday FUA class, I also worked 4 hour shifts Monday through Friday at a local Italian theatre, Chille de la Balanza. During the weeks that I had my morning class, I my hours were 15.00- 19.00. Now that my class is done, I work from 9.30- 13.30. In my next blog post, I'll share with you what exactly I do in a day at the theatre.
The last thing I want to cover is where I have been living. I chose to stay with a host family, and I could not be more thankful that I did! My host family consists of both parents and their 17 year old son. I also had two other girls living in the same house during my first three weeks (I will not be receiving new roommates during the rest of my time here being that FUA is now closed until September). One of the girls, Savanna, had her own room, while I shared a room with Mia. They both had already become friends before I arrived, but the three of us all very quickly grew to become very close. We enjoyed eating dinners (Monday- Thursday prepared by the host mom) together, watching movies, and going out to eat and explore together. We still keep in contact, and we know we will be lifelong friends. We even plan on all getting together again in the States some time soon.
I hope that this helped you in understanding what exactly PAA is and why I am here in Italy. Make sure to subscribe to my blog (found above) to keep updated on all new posts!
Thanks for reading!
Click here to go to the PAA website
XOXO,
Louisa
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