Imagine the look on a child’s face when first entering one of the finest halls in the world and experiencing a performance by world-renowned artists. The encounter is one not soon forgotten; and it may just instill a love for the performing arts that will last a lifetime.

Here at Performing Arts Fort Worth, we offer the children of Fort Worth and surrounding communities, in grades 1st through 12th, the opportunity to embrace the joy of live performance in the celebrated Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall — completely free of charge to students and their districts.

Performing Arts Fort Worth’s commitment is based on the belief that a broad range of classical performing arts are critical to education and that we are planting the seeds to cultivate our audiences and artists of tomorrow. Our goal is “every child, every grade, every year” for students from the Fort Worth community to attend programs at Bass Performance Hall.

Since the program’s inception:

• 1,007,842 students and teachers have attended Children's Education Programs at Bass Performance Hall
• 650 programs - all curriculum-related - were presented to area children; 45 Master Classes; 35 Teachers' Institutes; 29 Bayard H. Friedman Awards; 10 Perry R. Bass Fellowships; and numerous distance learning programs.
• Children have experienced performances by these exceptional artists:
• Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
• Texas Ballet Theater
• Fort Worth Opera
• Stage West
• Pianists from the Van Cliburn Foundation
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Nationally recognized groups, such as Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Chanticleer, Aquila Theatre and The Acting Company

Along with the programs at Bass Performance Hall, the Children's Education Program also offers:

• Summer Camps
• Teachers’ Institutes
  
• Master Classes
• Study Guides
• Bayard H. Friedman Awards
• Perry R. Bass Fellowship

For more information on programs for the 2012-2013 season please contact Sue Buratto, Director of Education, at sburatto@basshall.com.

Education Department Staff:

Sue Buratto, Director of Education - sburatto@basshall.com

Patricia H. Schutts, Director of Development

Jeanie Wilkins, Assistant Director of Development

Susahanna Lippa, Community Outreach and Education Manager

Stephen Seleny, Education Consultant