Hosting In-School Arts Experiences
Content originally researched, developed, and published in 2018.
Professional Performances and Exhibitions in Utah Schools
A professional company brought to your school to set up an exhibition or perform gives your students the opportunity to experience artistic excellence “up close and personal.” Utah’s performing arts companies and museums are highly skilled in working with educational communities and have honed their presentations for maximum impact on your students. These encounters with professional performers and artists may be the only opportunity some students have to experience arts at the professional level.
Students’ post-performance or post-exhibition learning can be enhanced by engaging these companies that offer artist-in-residence programs. Their workshops and classroom work is designed to complement their presentations and your curricular and co-curricular work. Uniquely, Utah has a POPS program sponsored by the state legislature that provides funds for many of these companies to visit your school and little-to-no-cost to you! Check out each company's websites for details on school pricing.
Opportunities to bring professional artists to your school are listed below. Download a complete bank of resources by accessing the Arts-Rich School Handbook.
Dance Workshops and Performances for Utah Schools
Ballet West for Children
A small touring group from Ballet West will perform at your school or bring your students to a free school matinee at the Capitol Theatre. 801-869-6934
Kids in Motion Two-Week Residency
Ririe-Woodbury dancers visit your school for two weeks. This in-depth residency includes an interactive performance demonstration, creative movement classes and a peer-to-peer performance at the end of the residency. A parent/child night and teacher workshop are offered as well as an invitation for the school children to attend a free matinee at the Capitol Theatre. education@ririewoodbury.com 801-297-4241
Dance is for Everybody!
Ririe-Woodbury dancers visit your school and present a lecture demonstration in your gym, auditorium, or cafeteria. education@ririewoodbury.com 801-297-4241
Teacher Workshops and Lecture Demonstrations
Children’s Dance Theatre offers free lecture demonstrations, with 40 students and two live musicians. tannerdance@utah.edu 801-581-7374
RDT Movement Classes and Lecture Demonstrations
Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) dancers will come to your school to perform for the whole school and/or teach movement classes in specific grade-level classrooms. rdt@rdtutah.org 801-534-1000
Kinnect Dance Company
BYU students in Kinnect Dance Company create, perform, and teach dance to students in grades K-6. They present engaging assemblies and creative dance workshops in elementary schools and other community settings. byukinnectdance@byu.edu
Traditionz
Traditionz is a folk-dance performance outreach program that provides entertaining cultural education through dance assemblies at local Utah Schools during the month of May. Assemblies last approximately 45 minutes. traditionz@byu.edu Contact Vickie Austin: 801-422-4283
Media Arts School Programs
Real to Reel
This free interactive classroom presentation from the Utah Film Center is for grades 4-8 that focuses on media literacy skills and shows students the power of voice and artistic expression in documentary film. Lmeans@utahfilmcenter.org 801-746-7000
Video Game Design
Spy Hop offers free workshops that introduce students to coding and programming languages while going through the steps of developing a video game. info@spyhop.org (801) 532-7500
Professional Music Programs for Schools
Opera by Children
Students and teachers can create their own original operas in their classrooms in this program offered by Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre. opera@ufomt.org 435-750-0300 ext. 118
Who Wants to be an Opera Star?
This assembly, provided by artists at Utah Opera, introduces students to the world of opera by staging a wonderfully comedic—and content rich—television game show. pfowler@usuo.org801-869-9090
Symphony for the Schools
A full orchestra (40-45 musicians) will come to your school or use one of your high school theaters to bring together several schools in your district to experience the Utah Symphony. bhawkins@usuo.org 801-869-9090
Theatre Performances for Utah Schools
Storytelling Programs
Students may enjoy a performance by professional storytellers in your school or as part of a visit to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. Story.timpfest@gmail.com 801-228-1350
BYU Young Company
The Young Company tours a production to Utah Schools each semester. The troupe of 10 BYU students typically performs for 35-40 schools, bringing plays to tens of thousands of students every year. rebecawallin@yahoo.com 801-229-1073
UVU Noorda Youth Theatre
The Noorda Theatre Center for Children and Youth supports university productions for young audiences, facilitates conferences and special events, operates a summer camp for youth, and develops new scripts for young people. The Center produces fall and spring touring shows that are performed in schools in Utah Valley and beyond. The Center also schedules school matinee performances of many of UVU’s main season shows. noordacenter@uvu.edu 801-863-5437
Professional Visual Arts Programs in Utah Schools
Art Talks
Outreach educators from the Springville Museum Of Art will come to your school to provide interactive classes for students, train teachers, and contribute materials for classroom use. SMAOutreach@springville.org 801-489-2727
Traveling Museum Project
Temporary exhibitions of authentic art objects from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts education collection are delivered to schools throughout Utah. Each exhibition is accompanied by art-based, in-class presentations and professional development workshops. This object-centered approach explores the role art plays in people’s lives across the globe. The program develops visual literacy, fosters independent learning, and cultivates critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity. annie.burbidge.ream@umfa.utah.edu 801-581-7332
Book Arts Treasure Chest
The Book Arts Treasure Chest takes book arts, across-curricular learning tool, directly into Utah Classrooms. Treasure Chest teachers present a lesson on the history of books, using rare books and facsimiles as examples that students view and handle, then guide the students in making a book that relates to their current curriculum. k12bookarts@utah.edu
Deepening Student Connections to the Arts
In-school arts experiences provide students with invaluable opportunities to engage with professional artistic performances and educational programs, fostering a deeper appreciation for the arts. By hosting live performances and workshops, schools can offer unique cultural and creative learning experiences that many students might not otherwise encounter.
For more detailed guidance for building an arts-rich school, download the Arts-Rich School Handbook, which covers everything from hiring educators to producing student performances and exhibitions. This resource is a crucial tool for any school looking to enhance its arts programs and foster a vibrant, creative culture and community.
