Customized Project Management
Whether you're working on an online workshop, a professional conference, an after-school program, a new academic course, or a special venture, let us put our creative and innovative experiences to work for you. Project Development consulting is available virtually, so we can help you wherever you are. In a bind? An hour of problem-solving is just a click away. Need us for a larger project? Availability is limited, so book early.
The Breakfast Club
Recipient of a 2020 Grant Award from the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation
Recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Arts Award through the Arkansas Arts Council
Winner of the Governor's Arts Award Founded by and for junior high students in 2015, this after-school arts program has reached thousands of audiences, grades K-12, in Northwest Arkansas. Students engage in hands-on learning experiences through the visual and performing arts, then share what they have learned by going into elementary and middle schools to perform, read books, lead creative art-making sessions, and provide mentorship. Past shows have included (with the authors' permission) adaptations for the stage of The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman and Tumbleweed Baby. Original plays written for this program by Ms. Martha include: Three Continents, Three Stories and Snow Grey and the Six Talls.
The program is 100% supported through charitable donations and grants. In 2024, it serves high school students in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“Ms. Martha brings people in and makes them interact with each other to create original artwork that is exciting and meaningful. I genuinely don't know how she manages to get so many kinds of people together and create art. I am shocked by it, but I love it. She is always learning from us, too. She makes us feel special and known. It makes all of us want to bring more people who are on the margins into the circle.”
- Syveria "Cici" Hull, Class of '24
"It prepares kids for high school so that they don’t stick to one group – they expand their horizons and are able to make more friends than they would if they stuck to their same little groups" - Lexi T., TBC College Mentor
"They might not feel like their voice is heard in regular junior high or in regular classrooms, so this gives them a chance to express themselves and be noticed by other people." - Taliah B., TBC Graduate
“It’s the art of doing things and the arts themselves that set Martha apart from others. One course she developed is now required for every future undergraduate level secondary teacher before they can gain access to the university's teacher licensure program. This course sets students on a path to know what is possible in their own classrooms because Ms. Martha demonstrates all of that in what she does, walking the walk of innovative and exciting pedagogy. She creates documentary films alongside her students. If they are making comics, she is making comics. When she partnered with the Faulkner Performing Arts Center to offer a dance workshop with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, she was on stage dancing alongside high school language learners and university education majors.
As a writer and musician, I have had the honor to collaborate with Ms. Martha and work with students in her after-school and weekend programs, including the award-winning Breakfast Club, named by the club's founding members after the John Hughes film because they believed this art club was the one safe place where kids from all backgrounds could gather and honestly express themselves. While in session with these young people, their openness and willingness surprises me. I hear students create song lyrics about topics that most adults I know would struggle to discuss.
The atmosphere created in a studio under Ms. Martha's leadership is one of trust and acceptance, where risk-taking is the norm rather than the exception.
- Dr. Christian Z. Goering, University of Arkansas, Coordinator, Secondary Education, Director, Northwest Arkansas Writing Project
ART/Works!
Recipient of a grant awarded through The Women's Giving Circle. This job training program is offered through a strategic alliance between the Faulkner Performing Arts Center, the NWA Gallery at the Mall, and the School of Music at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville. Following their arts integration experiences in The Breakfast Club, high school students become eligible to apply for ART/Works! This job-training program provides mentorship and on-the-job career development through a series of experiences in back-of-house and front-of-house positions. Interns complete 30 hours (minimum) of training under the mentorship and supervision of the professionals at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center and professional, practicing artists/performers. The culmination of the internship is a showcase and gallery opening produced and curated by the interns and opened to the public. Each year, the interns choose the theme for their showcase. The 2023 showcase was "From Impossible to I'm Possible." The 2024 showcase was "Creativity Is Contagious." The 2025 internship program begins in January.
This program is FREE for participants. The program runs on in-kind and financial donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
ArtSpark!
In 2025, ArtSpark! will have its pilot year, serving up to 60 students ages 10-13, 20 pre-service and practicing educators, and 12 high school interns with a summer arts integration camp, June 3-15. Campers at ArtSpark! engage in visual art, dance, creative writing, and theatre/improv activities led by professional artists. Teachers (and teachers-in-training) participate in 10 hours of Professional Development on how to integrate the arts in any curriculum to achieve better student engagement and improved results on assessments. ArtSpark! summer camp will culminate in a showcase of works-in-progress to demonstrate the blossoming skills of the participants and their high school mentors.
This program includes a curated ArtSpark creativity box, created by Josie Mai (josiemai.com), full of art supplies and productivity prompts to help ArtSpark participants continue their creative journey well after camp has concluded. Participants each receive a t-shirt designed by ART/Works interns to tie-dye during one of the visual art workshops. Lunch is served daily.
This program is FREE for students and teachers. It is supported through grants and donations (cash and in-kind). The Women's Giving Circle provided the seed money for the 2025 pilot.
"Working with Martha Sandven has truly been an honor and a breath of fresh air. As the director of a performing arts facility on a college campus, there is nothing I enjoy more than working with other people in the community who care about students as well as supporting the arts. While there are many people who are passionate about the arts, someone who can also work from an operational side is few and far between. After Martha approached me about bringing a virtual education and arts project to light during COVID, she did not disappoint. She was able to bring many facets of people together, keep the timeline moving forward, and ensure that everyone was in communication. Project development is not an easy task, especially when you are coordinating people from many different organizations throughout the country, but I would highly recommend Martha’s expertise and attention to detail. I enjoy working with her and know that if she is involved, there will be a high level of professionalism and respect."
- Nicole Cotton Leachman, Faulkner Performing Arts Center
"You make it sound important that I pursue this thing further. You make it about other people instead of me. And for that, I thank you."
- David Downs, Author and Actor
Scott Varady, Razorback Foundation
Breakfast Club
ART/Works!
ArtSpark!
"It really makes a difference in the kids’ lives. They feel wanted and respected, like their voice matters."
- Lilli R., Breakfast Club Graduate