Hudson Hall in Hudson, NY is a community-focused nonprofit with a mission to promote the arts and contribute to the revitalization of downtown Hudson. Their year-round schedule offers a diverse selection of visual and performing arts that includes jazz performances, improv clubs, Halloween mask making, film screenings, art exhibits and more. In addition, Berkshire Taconic’s Fund for Columbia County supports two innovative youth programs:
Live Arts & Media Workforce Development Program is a five-day intensive course that pairs highschoolers with professionals in the field of media production skilled in sound, lighting and video. Students get exposure to career paths in the performing arts, film, and a wide range of entry-level production jobs in tech and media and are paid to participate. The program gives them a foundation to creatively conceive, perform and produce their own stage presentation for a live audience. Executive Director Tambra Dillon shares, “This gives them a sense of accomplishment and ownership...we’re always astounded by the imagination and creativity of each production, and amazed by how accomplished the students have become at running the sound, lighting and video on their own.”
Community Arts Program for Youth, alongside Hudson Hall’s mainstage season, offers a wide range of free events to engage the community, inspire creativity, and showcase local talent. In addition to exhibitions, family-friendly performances, talks and literary events, a big component of CAP are afterschool programs for youth with weekly sessions in drama, movement, music, art, chess, and storytelling. Two recent offerings were a free masterclass for high school students with musicians performing in the Hudson Jazz Festival and an Improv workshop where 8-year-olds explored the poetry of Shakespeare. In addition, Camphill Hudson Players’ theatrical production for people of all abilities is an annual favorite. Participation is offered free of charge to any of these programs due to philanthropic support.
Dillon shares that Hudson Hall is looking forward to presenting a new work on November 2, 2024 called No Cowards in Our Band, a musical drama telling the story of Frederick Douglass through his own words.
