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FAP – First-year Arts Program

What is FAP?

Have you ever been longing to learn this one cool art thing forever but never had the time? Have you picked up some new artistic hobbies over the summer and want to show off to a group of new friends? Have you ever wished that you had a whole week to immerse yourself in all kinds of art and leave your worries far away? Yes?! Wonderful! Here’s your chance: there’s no better time to do this than during your first week at MIT! If you like making art, admiring art, or are even just interested in learning how to art, good news – the First-Year Arts Program (FAP) allows you to do just that, and so much more.

The First-Year Arts Program aims to expose you to all of the artistic opportunities MIT and the greater Boston area have to offer. You’ll be able to take part in a number of student and faculty-run workshops, visit and explore nearby artistic attractions and museums, participate in fun activities planned by the counselors (who represent a variety of artistic disciplines on MIT’s Campus), and make friends as you work with your peers on a week-long artistic project of your choosing.

Exploratory Workshop:

Various workshops led by MIT students and faculty occur throughout the week and introduce students to many of the artistic classes, organizations, and opportunities on campus! Previous workshops have included: singing acapella with various MIT acapella groups, improv comedy with MIT’s Roadkill Buffet, dancing with MIT Asian Dance Team, writing comic books with MIT Faculty, and much more!

Creative Capstone:

Early in the week, students will brainstorm arts projects they are interested in working on and form groups based on their interests. Each group will also be assigned one or a few counselors to help support the students in their creative journeys. For a few hours every day during the remainder of the week, they will collaborate on a creation of their choice to show off to the rest of the students at our showcase on the final day! Projects can encompass any number of disciplines and previous examples include:

  • A murder-mystery escape room (Writing, Acting, Game Design)
  • A live performance of an original musical (Musical Theatre)
  • A live performance of an original song with electronic beats and rapping (Music)
  • A video-taped puppet show with hand-sewn puppets (Fine Arts, Film)
  • A short feature film with animation (Video Animation)

There’s something magical about art created alongside others, and we can say with confidence that the First-Year Arts Program will be an experience you’ll never forget. Together, let’s engage with the curiosity, passion, and excitement that art brings! We’ll provide a low-stress, high-fun environment for you to bring out your inner finger-paint Picasso; all that’s left is for you to join in.

FAP Specifics

  • Dates: Tuesday, August 22- Sunday, August 27, 2023
  • Available spaces: 30
  • Cost: $280