Universal Temple of The Arts

Founded in 1967 by artist/teacher/philosopher Maurice Phillips and a group of young artists, Universal Temple of the Arts (UTA) is a dynamic artistic, cultural and educational organization with a rich history of providing life enrichment programs to Staten Island's grassroots communities. With a mission to quicken the creative spirit in the individual and community and foster brotherly love through the arts, UTA became one of Staten Island's first organizations of its kind. Founding members include the organization's current Executive/Artistic Director, Sajda Musawwir Ladner and Sheila Rohan, UTA's Performing Arts Coordinator, who is a renowned dancer, choreographer and an original member of The Dance Theater of Harlem. In addition to her work with UTA, Ms. Rohan is currently the Artistic Director for the Nanette Bearden Contemporary Dance Theatre.

~ UTA provides a wide range of much-needed cultural arts and life skills programs and services, free of charge; primarily serving low and moderate-income Staten Island residents. UTA activities reach a variety of individuals from all age groups and backgrounds. Classes are offered in schools, museums, homeless shelters, group homes, senior citizen and community centers located across Staten Island. UTA is, in fact, one of few organizations there to provide "mobile" arts and cultural courses in an effort to make them more accessible, while also broadening our outreach in the communities we serve. As a way to foster success and accomplishment in our participants, we also believe in providing participants with regular opportunities to showcase their projects and talents; partnering with a broad range of like-minded organizations, including libraries, schools, and local museums.

~ In our continued efforts to develop lifelong scholars, artists, and creative thinkers and as well as support and cultivate the minds and interests of young people, UTA allocates much of its resources to providing enrichment programs to a younger audience. Facilitated by professional artists, UTA's programs incorporate teaching methodologies that are not only unique and engaging, but also highly effective, as demonstrated by numerous evaluations from our funders over the years. UTA realizes its goal to nurture creativity and complement scholastic aptitude in children by offering an eclectic blend of performing arts (music, dance, vocal, etc), cultural, and social programs, which are skillfully designed to incorporate academic components such as literacy and mathematics in an effort to enhance performance in these core scholastic areas.

~ Continuously evolving to meet the changing needs of our community, UTA has launched a number of successful social and financial enrichment initiatives, including its Conflict Resolution Through the Arts workshops, which furnish young participants with a safe outlet for discussing both personal problems and common concerns; a Youth Entrepreneurial Training Program, which teaches students the fundamentals of starting and growing their own businesses; self-esteem building workshops; and Computer Literacy Courses, helping students learn Microsoft Office and graphic software applications.

~ As we forge ahead and expand our reach in the 21st Century, UTA's kaleidoscopic view remains rooted in its mission. Taking children abroad to experience different cultures; securing a home base that will enable us to expand our activities; discovering new avenues of learning and teaching are but a few of the aspirations that UTA cherishes. Whatever we do, it will be done with love. We welcome your ideas. This is a community-based organization, embracing the world; and as the song says - WE ARE THE WORLD!