CAPA Community Creates to Offer Free Adult Art Sessions

CAPA's Education and Engagement Department is back with its second season of CAPA Community Creates, a free program designed for adults interested in exploring different artistic practices, including dance, theatre performance, written/spoken word, and more.

CAPA Community Creates will offer four distinct sessions throughout December, all held at the Idea Foundry (421 W. State St.). Each session is unique and can be taken as a standalone or sessions can be combined for a curated experience.

Sessions are intended for participants 18 years of age and older. Registration is strongly recommended, although walk-ins will be accepted.

Each session includes a conversation with local guest artists who are working professionally in their field. At the conclusion of the conversation, participants will have an additional hour in the Lab to practice a new or familiar art form with the teaching artists. Guest artists will lead the lab through the lens of their conversation topic, encouraging participants to try something new in a safe, guided space, and providing resources for further exploration of the art form.

This year's sessions will be led by Cynthia Amoah. Amoah is a Ghanaian-American poet, national speaker, and teaching artist. A 3x TEDx speaker and 2025 GCAC Artists Elevated awardee, she holds an MFA from The New School and currently serves as the 2026 Aminah Robinson Writer, Researcher, and Scholar Resident with the Columbus Museum of Art. She previously served as the inaugural Writer-in-Residence at Bexley Public Library and as the Arts in the Parks Coordinator with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Her work explores themes of identity, migration, and belonging. Her chapbook Handrails was published by Akashic Books in Fall 2021.

Session 1 - The Objects We Hold: Writing from Artifacts & Memory

Thursday, December 3, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Participants use a meaningful object, photograph, or keepsake as a starting point for exploring memory and storytelling. Through accessible prompts, participants create a short poem or piece of creative writing inspired by the stories their objects hold, with an optional share-out at the end. No writing experience required.

Session 2 - Permission to Play: Finding Your Story on the Page

Sunday, December 6, noon to 2 pm

A low-pressure introduction to creative writing through playful prompts around memory, place, identity, observation, and imagination. Participants experiment with poetry and short-form storytelling, with an optional share-out at the end. No writing experience required.

Session 3 - From Page to Stage: Spoken Word & Performance

Thursday, December 10, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Using their own writing or a provided text, participants explore how breath, pacing, emphasis, movement, and delivery can bring words to life. The focus is on authentic expression and becoming more comfortable using your voice, rather than polished performance. No prior experience is required.

Session 4 - Courage in the Room: Confidence, Presence & Public Speaking

Sunday, December 13, noon to 2 pm

Using short existing stories, poems, or texts, participants experiment with read-aloud, embodiment, movement, and interpretation while building confidence and presence. An alternate brief writing and reflection exercise can also help participants connect these techniques to their own voice and everyday communication. No prior experience is required.

Visit www.capa.com/productions/capa-community-creates to register and for more information.