Under the direction of Olabamidele Husbands, the company’s arts/education component is an integral part of the their 32‑year history. The company has conducted workshops, master classes, training seminars, and residencies for than 100 secondary schools as well as numerous colleges, universities and community service organizations at home and abroad. Each program is designed to support and improve the quality of life and education for participants of all ages, cultures, nationalities and ethnic origins, and to expose them to a rich cultural heritage through association with community elders in the arts and education fields who are committed to transmitting positive values, traditions and beliefs of the people and cultures of the Americas (north, central and south).
Topics can include a variety of social and educational issues, including teen pregnancy, youth empowerment, teacher training, racism in schools, arts and culture, history and culture of the African Diaspora, comparative religion, and ecology and the environment. Forces of Nature’s current arts education programs are funded by human services and arts institutions such as the Rheedlen Foundation, The Valley, Inc., Aaron Davis Hall, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Through the development of these ongoing programs, the company has found that the arts (music, dance, theatre, visual arts, oral traditions, etc.) coupled with informative, stimulating academic presentations that educate through creative participation, serve as one of the best tools in educating our young and redirecting them to a progressive alternative path.