Rodman for Kids Commits $1.2 Million to Expand Youth Access to Live Theater
New England Council member Rodman for Kids recently announced a 10-year, $1.2 million partnership with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) to expand access to live theater and arts education for young people across Massachusetts. The commitment includes a $120,000 annual investment to fund 6,000 student tickets each spring for CSC’s “Stage2” Shakespeare productions designed for middle and high school students.
Rodman for Kids has supported youth access to the arts through its Theatre for Kids program, which funds tickets to live theater for more than 200 youth-focused nonprofits and schools. The partnership with CSC builds on a previous collaboration between the organizations, with Rodman for Kids funding 4,500 tickets earlier this year for the “Stage2” production of Romeo and Juliet. CSC typically charges between $15 and $20 per ticket for these performances, a cost that CSC founding director Steve Maler acknowledges “is actually quite a barrier to entry for a lot of schools and school groups.”
Amy Rossman, executive director of Rodman for Kids, highlighted the broader gap in arts education created by cuts to school arts programming and the role this partnership can play in addressing it: “We see so many students who not only lack access to a professional theater, but they’re not getting any music or theater education at all. This can be the way that we integrate what kids are learning in their classrooms, what they’re learning at school, with what’s available to them out in the community.”
The 10-year partnership will support CSC’s education and outreach efforts while helping reduce financial barriers to experiencing the arts. The New England Council commends Rodman for Kids for its investment in expanding access to the performing arts for students across Massachusetts.
Read more: Rodman for Kids pledges $1.2M to fund Shakespeare tickets