Dear Arts Lovers,

November marks the beginning of the giving season. It is the end of Dussehra and the beginning of Diwali, the festival of lights - a time of giving and new beginnings. Giving Tuesday, a well-known holiday in the US, is when all not-for-profit arts organizations have an annual drive to support their programs. And later in the US is Thanksgiving; although controversial in its context, today it is a chance to reflect and recognize all that we are thankful for.

At CommonTime, we are grateful for all of our artists and learners, past, present, and future! Recently, we started in-person classes connecting the Indian diaspora of Stuttgart through Madhubani arts and Bollywood Dance; we connected our artists virtually to a Puja at the Bongodhara Festival in Bangalore; and soon we will be bringing in schools from Hong Kong to connect with schools in Germany through shared music exchanges.

The arts are community, culture and connection.  We are grateful to the arts and how they touch us everyday. Looking to give the gift of the arts this season? Give a CommonTime gift card, or donate a lesson to one of our partner schools that doesn’t have access to arts education or other arts learning experiences. And when you do, you will have made a positive difference in the world.

Christine Matovich

Founder, CommonTime

On November 16th, CommonTime partner and arts organization Smashworks Dance is hosting an in-person social in New York City! If you’re in the area, enjoy wine, hors d'oeuvres, and live performance as they share their plans for their next big project in 2024-2025. Whether you're a new supporter of the arts or a longtime friend of Smashworks, you'll experience a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Chelsea. To learn more about this event, click here.

In the near future, Smashworks Dance will be hosting educational dance videos on CommonTime. Stay tuned for more info!

This month’s featured Arts Organization is Virtual Concert Halls, an organization that specializes in Live Internet TV production of music events, seasons, and shows, virtual and hybrid. Much like CommonTime, Virtual Concert Halls was born out of a need to keep the arts accessible even when physical performance venues were closed. Now, VCHS creates broad and unique opportunities for performers, teachers, managers, concert and educational organizations, and allows them to perform from any location!

Virtual Concert Halls broadcasts daily music and education shows, live performances, discussions, competitions, and more, all for free! Tune in everyday at 12pm EST on CommonTime.

Want to support your partner’s shower-singing potential? Want to encourage your niece or nephew’s painting skills? Give the gift of the arts with a CommonTime gift card!

When you send someone a CommonTime gift card, they can use it for all products and services on CommonTime, including lessons, events, and memberships. If your recipient doesn’t have a CommonTime account, that’s no problem; they can create a free CommonTime account at any time to claim their gift and begin enjoying the world of the arts! Click here to give the gift of the arts!