Program areas at Berks Arts Council
Jazz programming - Berks jazz fest is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the nation, Berks jazz fest brings tens of thousands of jazz enthusiasts to greater reading each spring to enjoy more than 40 major concerts over the course of ten jazz-filled days. In addition, Berks Arts Council held the art of jazz: the visual art component of Berks jazz fest, featuring a juried exhibition with jazz/music-inspired artwork from regional artists in all mediums. Getjazzed education: getjazzed education was rebranded in 2022 to align more closely with the Berks jazz fest. The program continues to strive to inspire student musicians to explore jazz as musicians, supporters, and enthusiasts through memorable jazz education experiences. Additionally, the getjazzed education program grew in scope to include a new "jam on the road" initiative in philadelphia, in partnership with the host venue, settlement music school.
Other programs - various workshops and programs designed to promote the Arts and cultural activities in Berks county. Events included special concerts and exibitions held throughout the year and for the holiday seasonarts roundtable: a bi-monthly program for local Arts organizations and artists to meet, share ideas, discuss current trends/programs and funding. Pennsylvania partners in the Arts: 38 program stream grants totaling $110,000 and the continued launch of the new creative entrepreneur accelerator program for business entrepreneurs in the creative industries, with 26 grants totaling $51,650fast lane art: a celebration of public art and art education, in which Berks Arts works with local property owners to display student artwork in unique public settings. Beginning in january 2022, a partnership was formed with music educators of Berks county (mebc) for Berks Arts to produce/present scholastic music festivals for the cohort of teachers, resulting in performance opportunities for more than 1,200 students grades 6-12 countywide in the areas of band, chorus, and orchestra.
Bandshell concerts - Arts partners with the city of reading and county of Berks to host free community concerts each summer at the city park bandshell.
Reading blues fest: an annual weekend celebration of traditional blues and its contemporary subgenres, held each november.