Seattle Theatre Group was recently selected as a regional grantee for Disney Musicals in Schools by Disney Theatrical Group. The designation comes with a $100,000 grant to provide arts opportunities for five Title 1 King County public elementary schools: Emerson, Mt. View, Van Asselt, West Seattle and White Center Heights Elementaries.
The program is based on Disney KIDS musicals, written for elementary-aged students, and designed for production in an after-school setting. These half-hour shows feature accessible music, ensemble casts and classic Disney stories such as 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, The Aristocats, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty and Winnie the Pooh.
Each school commits a team of teachers to the program. These teams are guided through onsite support and training from a team of two Seattle Theatre Group teaching artists during the rehearsal and production process. The teaching artists serve as production and creative advisors, with the goal of training and empowering each school team to run the program in the future.
"We are very happy to be leading this dynamic arts education initiative locally that was initially offered in New York City public schools," said Vicky Lee, director of education and performance programs at Seattle Theatre Group. "After a successful first year, we hope to continue this program for many years to come."
Selected schools will participate in a culminating Disney Musicals in Schools "Student Share Celebration" on March 10 at the Moore Theatre.
"Studies show that arts access improves attendance rates, lowers disciplinary rates, and helps raise test scores in other subject areas. This type of program is especially vital for students who may not have many opportunities to interact with the arts either in or out of the school day," said Randy Engstrom, director of Office of Arts and Culture.
For more information on the program at Seattle Theatre Group, visit www.STGpresents.org/education/DMIS.
