Manchester Craftsmens Guild

MANCHESTER CRAFTSMEN'S GUILD (MCG) YOUTH & ARTS EDUCATES AND INSPIRES YOUTH THROUGH THE ARTS TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. THE MISSION OF MCG JAZZ IS TO PRESERVE, PRESENT, AND PROMOTE JAZZ.

MCG JAZZMCG JAZZ HAS BECOME ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING SUBSCRIPTION CONCERT SERIES FOR LIVE JAZZ IN THE COUNTRY AND HAS BEEN NAMED A GREAT JAZZ VENUE BY DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE FOR NINE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. MCG JAZZ CELEBRATED 35 YEARS OF PRESENTING CONCERT SEASONS WITH A LINE-UP FILLED WITH A DIVERSE RANGE OF INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTISTS IN 2021-2022. MCG JAZZ PATRONS RETURNED TO THE CONCERT HALL FOR IN-PERSON LIVE MUSIC AND SURPASSED SALES EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SEASON. DURING THE 2021-2022 SEASON, MCG JAZZ SOLD 6,046 RETURNING SUBSCRIBER SEATS ($302,350) AND 2,312 NEW SUBSCRIBER SEATS ($134,730), COMPARED TO THE 2019-2020 SEASON WHERE MCG JAZZ SOLD 5415 RETURNING SUBSCRIBER SEATS ($271,805) AND 2,647 NEW SUBSCRIBER SEATS ($141,402). THIS MEANS THAT WE HAD A RETENTION RATE 112% FOR RETURNING SUBSCRIBERS FROM THE 2019-2020 AND 2020-2021 CONCERT SEASONS THAT RESULTED IN SHUTDOWN FOR COVID-19, WITH NINE OF THE FOURTEEN CANCELLED SHOWS RESCHEDULED. OVERALL TICKET SALES WERE AT 81% FOR THE 35TH ANNUAL CONCERT SEASON.MCG JAZZ HAS PRESENTED OVER 35 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE, ONE-OF-A-KIND CONCERTS BY JAZZ MASTERS AND EMERGING ARTISTS. THE PERFORMANCE ASPECT OF ITS PROGRAMMING HAS LED TO THE CAPTURE OF AN UNPRECEDENTED ARCHIVES THAT COMPRISES ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTIONS OF LIVE RECORDINGS OF JAZZ ARTISTS FROM A SINGLE VENUE. THE ARCHIVE CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF ENTRIES FROM JAZZ PERFORMANCES, FEATURING SUCH LEGENDS AS CARMEN MCRAE, BILLY TAYLOR, DIZZY GILLESPIE, NANCY WILSON, TITO PUENTE, AND HUNDREDS MORE.

MCG YOUTH & ARTSMCG YOUTH & ARTS SERVED 358 UNIQUE YOUTH IN SCHOOL-DAY, AFTERSCHOOL, AND SUMMER PROGRAMS IN 2021-22. OF THAT TOTAL, 250 INDIVIDUAL TEENS PARTICIPATED IN THE AFTERSCHOOL APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM (ATP). MCG YOUTH ALSO PROVIDED ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAMMING TO 63 STUDENTS FROM HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE, PRESSLEY RIDGE DAY SCHOOL, FRIENDSHIP ACADEMY, AND PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS' CITY CONNECTIONS. MCG YOUTH'S CREATIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COURSES ARE OFFERED IN FOUR STUDIOS CERAMICS, PHOTOGRAPHY, DESIGN ARTS, AND DIGITAL ARTS. SURVEYS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN MCG YOUTH'S ATP AND REVIEWS OF GRADUATION RECORDS SHOW THAT 97 PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL ON TIME IN 2021, AND 94 PERCENT PLANNED TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES. OF THESE STUDENTS, 82 PERCENT INDICATED THAT THEY CREDIT MCG YOUTH WITH HELPING THEM TO PURSUE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. THE FOLLOWING ARE RESPONSES TO OCCASIONAL LONG-FORM SURVEYS ADMINISTERED DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR: [ATP] ALLOWED ME TO HAVE A POSITIVE PLACE TO GO AND SUPPORT FOR MY EMOTIONAL NEEDS.; MCG HELPED ME BECOME A BETTER ARTIST AND CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING RELATED TO ART IN THE FUTURE AFTER COLLEGE.; MCG HELPED ME BECOME INDEPENDENT AND RESPONSIBLE; AND I RECEIVED ENCOURAGEMENT TO PURSUE THE ARTS AND VALIDATION THAT I AND MY ART IS WORTH SOMETHING.TO COMPLEMENT ITS AFTERSCHOOL OFFERINGS AND TO INFORM PARTICIPANTS ABOUT POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES MCG YOUTH HAS BUILT AN EXTENSIVE COLLEGE AND CAREER PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL ATP-ENROLLED STUDENTS TO DEVELOP SOFT SKILLS, MEET WITH COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES, VISIT COLLEGE CAMPUSES, AND PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON TOPICS RANGING FROM FINANCIAL AID, GOAL-SETTING, COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, AND ALTERNATIVE CAREER PATHWAYS. IN 2022 MCG HOSTED ITS ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP NIGHT EVENT WHERE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM COLLEGES THAT PROVIDE EXCLUSIVE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MCG STUDENTS.