![\"(Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771160288_966_Berks-in-Focus-Flyer-Final.jpg\")
(Courtesy of the Yocum Institute for Arts Education)<\/p>\nThe Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Yocum Institute for Arts Education are partnering for a county-wide creative collaboration for young people.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 10, the organizations will present a stunning new original \u201cvisual concerto\u201d celebrating Berks County through the eyes of our youth.<\/p>\n
This immersive orchestra experience is open to all Berks youth ages 5-22. The final performance piece will be produced from a pool of well over 1,000 local image submissions and then choreographed onto a 440-square-foot screen above the Reading Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n
(Courtesy of the Yocum Institute for Arts Education)<\/p>\n
Photos submitted will be curated by Nicholas Bardonnay of Westwater Arts and turned into a stunning visual mosaic synchronized to a live performance of Joseph Curiale\u2019s evocative piece, \u201cAwakening,\u201d by the RSO.<\/p>\n
Celebrate the life, culture and beauty of Berks County through your eyes and with your images \u2014 all set to a live, professional orchestra.<\/p>\n
What does Berks County mean to you?\u00a0Words alone can\u2019t express all there is to love about Reading and Berks County, so we\u2019re turning to the community\u2019s collective eye to share your experiences.<\/p>\n
We invite you to help tell Berks\u2019 story through photographs that showcase:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Community celebrations, street fairs, and festivals<\/p>\n
\u2022 Your city\u2019s rich history and treasured local landmarks<\/p>\n
\u2022 Favorite hometown places, food, and traditions<\/p>\n
\u2022 School activities, sporting events, and family moments<\/p>\n
\u2022 Music-making, dancing, and the arts<\/p>\n
\u2022 Murals, cultural expression, and creative life<\/p>\n
\u2022 Personal snapshots, volunteerism, and gatherings<\/p>\n
\u2022 The natural beauty and agricultural heritage of Berks County<\/p>\n
\u2022 Outdoor recreation like biking, running, water sports, and more<\/p>\n
\u2022 Portraits and everyday acts of kindness<\/p>\n
\u2022 Your pets<\/p>\n
Your images will help orchestrate a visual symphony that reflects the heart of our community.\u00a0To submit your images for \u201cBerks in Focus,\u201d visit https:\/\/www.yocuminstitute.org.<\/p>\n
You may submit as many photos as you\u2019d like, newly taken, long cherished, or inherited. If your images capture the spirit of Berks County, we want to see our home through your eyes.\u00a0The submission deadline is May 31.<\/p>\n
\u201cBerks in Focus\u201d will be created by Bardonnay, the creative director and CEO of Westwater Arts. He is a photographer and multimedia artist. His photography has been exhibited in galleries in London, Los Angeles, Portland and Hong Kong, among others. Since joining Westwater Arts in 2009, he has worked on more than 120 concerts with orchestras in cities across the U.S. as well as Scotland, England, Singapore, Canada, Poland, and Germany.<\/p>\n
His latest projects are \u201cMagico,\u201d \u201cNational Park Suite\u201d and \u201cVisions,\u201d which respectively celebrate Mexico\u2019s vibrant culture, the legacy of the National Park Service and America\u2019s first peoples. Bardonnay will join us in Reading as technical and artistic director for \u201cBerks in Focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Music<\/p>\n
Reading Civic Theatre will hold its 16th annual Celebration of the Arts Gala and Scholarship Competition on Feb. 28 from 5-11 p.m. at the Reading Country Club in Exeter Township.<\/p>\n
The event will feature 12 junior and senior Berks County high school vocalists competing for up to $2,250 in scholarship awards.<\/p>\n
The finalists:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sienna Brown, senior, Twin Valley<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kolby Grim, senior, Boyertown<\/p>\n
\u2022 Elliott Johnson, senior, Kutztown<\/p>\n
\u2022 Evianna Jones, junior, Exeter<\/p>\n
\u2022 Maya Lopez, junior, Boyertown<\/p>\n
\u2022 Leah Price, junior, Wyomissing<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kailey Reinboth, senior, Boyertown<\/p>\n
\u2022 Emilio Serio, junior, Fleetwood<\/p>\n
\u2022 Shannon Tilley, junior, Daniel Boone<\/p>\n
\u2022 Aubrey Thiele, junior, Muhlenberg<\/p>\n
\u2022 Gracie Torres, senior, Schuylkill Valley<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sloane Wolfe, senior, Twin Valley<\/p>\n
The event will include a sit-down dinner, the competition, raffle items and dancing. Attire is dressy\/formal and all tickets must be purchased online at readingcivic.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Awards<\/p>\n Nathan Thomas, Ph.D., professor and founder of the theater program at Alvernia University, was recognized with the Innovative Teaching Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 2.<\/p>\n The award honors one college or university faculty member each year for excellence and creativity in theatre pedagogy across the region. Thomas received the award alongside Cassandra King, chair of KCACTF Region 2, during the ceremony, held at the American College Theatre Festival in Columbia, Md.<\/p>\n \u201cThis award means very much to me,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cOur ACTF region includes many fine schools, some incredible theater programs, and a small army of wonderful teachers. To be singled out from that group for innovative teaching is a huge honor. I think it reflects Alvernia\u2019s ongoing support of innovation in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n KCACTF Region 2 encompasses institutions in western New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and northern Virginia. Award recipients are selected through a competitive nomination process reviewed by the Regional Executive Committee and are recognized for innovation in teaching practice and curriculum design.<\/p>\n Thomas was recognized for his creative approach to teaching acting and for developing courses and a curriculum that foster creativity and student engagement. His methods emphasize experiential learning and finding fresh ways to connect students with material.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally, my approach has been to find fresh ways to help students learn material,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cFrom coming up with novel ways to teach in a tent during the pandemic to getting students to do stand-up in a local comedy club to finding new insights in an old character like Hamlet.\u201d<\/p>\n The award also recognizes Thomas\u2019s role in curricular development, including the creation of the Creativity Workshop, led by Jessica Warchal-King.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery day our faculty work to develop their personal creativity, not only as artists, but to learn how to apply the ability to see the world with fresh and creative perspectives in everything they do,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n Recipients of the Innovative Teaching Award receive an invitation to present their teaching practices at the subsequent conference.<\/p>\n \u201cAlvernia is fortunate to have a group of talented artists teaching in the fine and performing arts,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI see my main work as supporting and furthering their work as best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Theater<\/p>\n The Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn, will present \u201cShe Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition\u201d by Qui Nguyen on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n This high-energy dramatic comedy follows high schooler Agnes Evans, whose world is turned upside down when she discovers her late sister Tilly\u2019s\u00a0Dungeons & Dragons\u00a0notebook. What begins as a game quickly becomes a thrilling journey filled with sword fights, homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and unexpected emotional depth.<\/p>\n As Agnes navigates this fantasy realm, she uncovers courage, connection, and a new understanding of the sister she thought she\u2019d lost.<\/p>\n Packed with fast-paced action and\u00a0 humor, \u201cShe Kills Monsters\u201d celebrates geeks, gamers, and the powerful stories that keep memories alive. This production explores how we honor the people we love and how imagination can bridge worlds. This PG-13 production is recommended for mature audiences.<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771160288_5_Cert_Award.jpg\")
Nathan Thomas, Ph.D., professor and founder of the theater program at Alvernia University, with Cassandra King, chair of KCACTF Region 2, who presented him the Innovative Teaching Award. (Courtesy of Alvernia University)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771160288_140_She-Kills-Monsters.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771160288_80_GoldieBLocks-with-new-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n