Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara will host a performance by the Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 19, at the agency's day services building, located at 2510 Niagara Falls Blvd., Wheatfield.
The concert is made possible through a grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. It was administered by Arts Services Initiative of Western New York.
OUN Fine Arts Coordinator Roberta Nickelsen said, "The grant is for our 2017 project, 'Gimme the Beat Boys and Free My Soul,' which further expands the scope of our fine arts program. In addition to the performance by the Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra, we will also be offering interactive dance and various workshops in five additional community locations as part of the overall grant. The grant allows us to continue to provide individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, opportunities to experience new cultural venues in the region, strengthen OUN's ties with the community, and emphasize the diversity of music as a means of artistic self-expression. It's also a wonderful opportunity for the individuals from our three-day program sites to come together for a festive musical event."
The event is open to the public.
The Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra consists of student musicians from Lancaster Central High School. Launched in 1974, the group is the third-oldest established continuing steel drum program in the U.S. Since its inception, the Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra has recorded several albums and have traveled extensively.
