8/10/2021
Education and Outreach
At the start of The Smith Center’s extended closure last spring, it seemed the pandemic posed an immediate access barrier to engaging with students and teachers.
“With all the restrictions, the possibility for connection was seemingly non-existent,” says Candy Schneider, vice president of Education and Outreach for The Smith Center.
That’s when the center’s Education and Outreach team recognized an opportunity to continue engaging students and teachers with the performing arts through virtual programming.
Working with its myriad arts education partners across the country, the team selected, organized and presented a total of six virtual student matinees during the 2020-2021 school year. As a nonprofit, The Smith Center provided this at no cost to schools.
The pivot to virtual programming proved a success, with 67,099 students and teachers participating in the six matinees, nearly equal to the number who participate in a traditional year of in-person matinees.
"While the idea of not gathering in person for our student matinees was initially disappointing, we quickly realized that schools moving online gave us the unique opportunity to reach students and teachers we might not have reached otherwise," says Schneider.
Virtual and Live Student Matinees Coming Soon
Delivering inspirational and culturally relevant programming for students and teachers will remain a priority for The Smith Center in the 2021-2022 school year.
The center currently plans to offer a total of nine student matinees, with five virtual matinees and four live, in-person matinees.
“We received so much positive feedback from teachers who really appreciated having the opportunity to incorporate arts education into their distance learning curriculums last year,” says Schneider. “We are so excited to be able to present new opportunities to engage, both virtually and in person, this coming school year.”
Schneider notes that while programming plans are in place, these may need to be adapted to meet the evolving safety protocols of schools and the Clark County School District (CCSD).
“If there’s one thing that we learned from the past 17 months, it’s that flexibility is key,” she says.
The following are some of the highlights of upcoming student matinee programming:
Song, Dance and Fairy Tales - Virtually
The center’s virtual programming for students kicks off in September with “Grimmz Fairy Tales.”
This introduces two modern-day, hip-hop street performers, Jake and Will, who bring the stories of the Brothers Grimm to life with a contemporary, urban spin.
Described as a hip-hop revelation for the younger generation, “Grimmz Fairy Tales” celebrates some of the most beloved and well-known fairy tales collected by the famous German brothers of old.
“Agua Es Vida (Water is Life),” a celebration of dance and song from Mexico, will mark the second virtual student matinee this fall.
The show features Cecilia as an indigenous storyteller who guides viewers on a journey after the world falls out of balance. Everyone must work together to bring the world, and themselves, back into balance.
Along the way, dancers and musicians from across Mexico bring their glorious traditions to life.
“Students will really enjoy these new virtual offerings,” says Schneider, adding that the online platform allows The Smith Center to curate some of the highest quality professional programming available to students.
Both virtual student matinees will be offered during specific windows of time, allowing teachers to select their best dates and times to share the experience with their students.
The matinees will also feature a variety of teacher resources to introduce and deepen the experience for students.
Additional virtual matinee titles will be announced closer to the date.
Live Entertainment for Young Audiences – On Stage
The Smith Center returns to live, in-person student matinees in early 2022 with two performances previously cancelled last year, “The Stinky Cheese Man” and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.”
“Both of these are extremely popular shows, so we’re thrilled to have them back on the books,” says Schneider.
Based on the award-winning book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, “The Stinky Cheese Man” deconstructs the fairytale tradition as Jack tries to save himself from the terrible Giant while encountering a host of reimagined fairytale characters. The tales told include “Cinderumplestiltskin” and “The Princess and the Bowling Ball.”
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,” a touring production of the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on tour from Washington, D.C., features The Pigeon as the star of his own musical.
When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place – The Pigeon – and the ensuing tale teaches children about responsibility and controlling emotions.
Additional in-person matinee titles will be announced closer to the date.
Details to be Made Available Soon
All student matinee information will be shared via email with CCSD school administrators through the CCSD School Community Partnership Office.
Private, charter and homeschool administrators will receive the information directly via email from The Smith Center’s Education and Outreach team. Any questions about the matinees can be answered by contacting [email protected].
For information about all of The Smith Center’s Education and Outreach programs, please click here.