Ray-Ray Farrales

Executive Director

Pronouns: they/them

Since the fall of 2013 I have been honored to be part of the KidsArts family. As a performance art teacher, site manager, program manager and now as executive director I have seen the way KidsArts truly empowers kids to find their artistic voice and encourages them to use it. I love the way we get to build brave and creative community with kids and families in JP and I am beyond stoked to be working with our amazing team of artist-as-teachers every day to make a place that we needed when we were kids.

ray-ray@jpkidsarts.org

617-524-0818

Matt Delligatti

Operations Manager

Pronouns: he/him/his

I am a musician, photographer, and passionate out-of-school time educator based in Jamaica Plain. I joined JP KidsArts in the Summer of 2017, and since then I have been proud to work to build a community space for kids and artists that is creative, compassionate, and fun! When I’m not at JP KidsArts you might catch me masquerading on stage as my alter ego, Kevin Wynd, or crouched next to a some goldenrod or aster in Franklin Park searching for bees and other pollinators.

Music

Bees In Boston

matt@jpkidsarts.org

617-524-0818

Lara Brennan

Program Manager

Pronouns: they/them and she/hers

I am a theatre-maker and teaching artist. I’ve been thrilled to be part of the KidsArts community since the fall of 2018 where I have worked as both a teacher and site manager. I love learning alongside our kids in classes focused on telling stories, playing pretend, and using our imaginations. Some of my favorite classes to lead have included Shining on Stage, Daring Documentaries, Playwriting, and Silent Movies. 

When I’m not making up skits and popcorn at KidsArts, the theatre that excites me the most is work that is exploratory and process driven. I deeply believe in the power of theatre as a space to learn and grow in community and as an outlet for group processing, question-asking, and reflecting (for both the audience and the performers!) Some recent projects have included collaborating in community to create a devised retelling of the Purim holiday story called Gragger! with Boston Workers Circle, and working as the assistant dramaturg on a new play with Fresh Ink Theatre.

lara@jpkidsarts.org

617-524-0818

Cody Foley

Site Manager and Teaching Artist

Pronouns: they/them/theirs

Hi, I’m Cody! I’ve had the joy of being a teaching artist at KidsArts since the summer of 2021. I am a self-taught musician who also collages, doodles, and makes digital art. Being a part of the New England DIY music scene has enormously shaped my experience as an artist as I’ve seen what dedicated and collaborative communities are capable of creating together. In the past, I’ve been focused on songwriting and exploring audience-interaction in performance, but these days I’ve been learning more about home recording, printmaking, DIY clothing, collage, and making posters for shows and events. I love to see what people can create when given the chance to express freely and instinctively, which is one reason why working with the wonderful kids at KidsArts has been so inspiring and so much fun!

cody@jpkidsarts.org

Kara Stokowski

Teaching Artist

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bio Coming Soon!

Raef Sengupta

Teaching Artist

Pronouns: He/him/his

I love kids. They are constantly facing the risks involved in feeling their emotions and I have so much admiration for their courage in that. The KidsArts team works hard to create spaces where they can explore their boundaries through artistic avenues that reduce these risks by allowing kids to safely fail. This is why I feel so grateful to be able to be a part of the program. Having studied music myself at New England Conservatory, I feel personally and strongly the ability of the arts as a safe framework through which the artist can explore all of the scary feelings of life and I am excited to be a part of a program that facilitates that space for kids.

Katya Zinn

Teaching Artist

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

I started working at KidsArts in 2019 after graduating Lesley University with a B.S. in Expressive Art Therapy and a Global Studies minor. Immediately I fell in love with the supportive, nurturing, and brave community of teachers and students I found here. In January 2020, it was with a heavy heart I left Boston for the island of Borneo to begin a new adventure, after being awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English and the craft of spoken-word poetry to high-schoolers in rural Malaysia. When my program was cut short due to COVID, it ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was lucky enough to be welcomed back to KidsArts, where I have been since the summer of 2021. I am most passionate about empowering my students to celebrate what makes them unique, and I am grateful everyday for the sense of wonder in everyday objects they teach me! Outside KidsArts, you might find performing as a featured poet at your local dive, playing guitar for the squirrels on my front porch, teaching ragtime jazz to one of my piano students, or anywhere near a tree.

katya@jpkidsarts.org