East Wake Residency
The GlaxoSmithKline East Wake Residency was begun in 1988 to establish a partnership between the arts, local government, communities, education and business and to serve all citizens of eastern Wake County by providing a high quality, culturally diverse arts and educational experience. These residencies take place in eastern Wake County, primarily in the towns of Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon. The East Wake Residency takes place every other year.
Residencies include workshops, lecture-demonstrations, master classes, performances, and up to two weeks of residency work with core groups in schools and with community partners. Community partners have included the Parks and Recreation Departments of Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon; the Wake County Public School System; local libraries, senior citizens facilities; and family life centers; and GlaxoSmithKline and its employees at the Zebulon facility.
Over the years, professional artists presented by United Arts in residency work have included the New Century Saxophone Quartet, Ying String Quartet, the String Trio of New York, Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company, the Anderson String Quartet, and most recently the African American Dance Ensemble for a three-year residency initiative.
The East Wake Residency is sponsored by United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Inc. and the GlaxoSmithKline East Wake Endowment. Past additional support has been provided by the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds.