Brrrrrrr! Frosty weather getting you down? Now’s the time to think warm thoughts and make plans for you and your loved ones to enjoy upcoming opportunities at Allied Solutions Center.
Not too early to pick a summer camp
The Prism Project, our annual performing arts day camp for youth with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities, is marking its fourth year on campus by doubling in size to meet growing demand. With sessions set for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from May 27 through June 19, the 2026 edition will offer a choice of morning or afternoon sessions. The culminating performances, built around the performers’ specific talents and interests, will take place June 20 in the Studio Theater.
Be a Buddy! Each Prism Project participant is assigned an official Buddy who provides one-on-one support and encouragement during the camp, which is a great opportunity for anyone 16 and older who wants to serve their community and/or gain experience working with people. Ball State University students can even earn academic credit. And this year, funding is available to pay the previously all-volunteer Buddies for their time and effort! Interested parties should drop an email to Outreach@TheCenterPresents.org.
Special thanks to Prism Project sponsor American Structurepoint and the generous donors and grantors who support this program.
Click here to register.
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Also on tap this summer is the ever-popular Jungle Jams music camp for children ages 5 to 7, returning July 20 to 24 with daily sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Led as always by friendly and energetic instructor “Miss Lisa” Colleen, the kids will sing, dance, play instruments and construct their own sound-making devices, meanwhile building self-esteem and a sense of community. On the closing Friday, grownups can join their campers in a big, noisy drum circle, which is even more fun than it sounds.
Registration will open in February. If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to ask them at (317) 819-3516 or Outreach@TheCenterPresents.org.
Folk music for wee folks
American folk music is a unique mix of traditions from around the world, and Traveler’s Dream – the musical duo of Michael Lewis and Denise Wilson – has been roaming that territory for over 20 years with rich voices, engaging personalities and a wide variety of folk instruments. Bring the kids to the Studio Theater on Feb. 21 for our next Peanut Butter & Jam session, an interactive morning sing-along of timeless tunes.
Admission is just $10 per child (ages 1 to 7), including free admission for two adults, so grab them while you can for this Musical Journey to Early America.
Lighting up the arts
Every other month on a Tuesday afternoon, we bring in a thoughtful and creative guest speaker to share perspectives on arts and culture for a series called Luminaries.
The January gathering at 2 p.m. this coming Tuesday features globetrotting motivational comedian Kevin Wanzer, sharing stories, poetry and humor in a program titled Choose to Love and the Art of Storytelling.
Coming up March 24, musician, educator and publicist Ron Kadish will present The Roots of Rock ’n’ Roll, a discussion of the pre-British Invasion pioneers who blended American musical traditions to create a homegrown but world-changing art form.
Bookies to probe art, history & political intrigue
Our reading club for grownups, the Palladium Bookies, meets at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9 to discuss Booth by Karen Joy Fowler, a look at the famous 19th century theatrical family that spawned a presidential assassin.
That should give you plenty of time to score a copy and join the free and friendly conversation. But if not, you can look ahead to April 13, when the Bookies’ topic will be The Queen’s Musician by Martha Jean Johnson. The 2025 novel imagines the life of Mark Smeaton, a 16th-century rock star executed by Henry VIII for his alleged dalliance with Anne Boleyn.
Click here to learn more about Palladium Bookies.