Impact Arts Launches 'Musical Theatre In A Box' Education Series

After more than 15 years creating and growing theatre education programs in Central Texas, steward Ginger Morris along with Victor Villalobos and Donelvan Thigpen have expanded Impact Arts' Digital Learning Series component relaunching as Musical Theatre In A Box to ensure education is at the forefront of art experiences.

Musical Theatre In A Box is an innovative and accessible program bringing musical theatre education into the classroom. With a standards-based curriculum, lessons are developed by teachers and artists - for teachers and artists - including extension activities and student accommodations.

Reaching students and teachers in elementary, middle, and high school, Musical Theatre In A Box provides a digital curriculum in theatre arts, all delivered in an easy-to-use online streaming platform. Each year, as a new movie musical is conceptualized, a corresponding, standards-based theatre curriculum is created to align with the concepts and themes of the movie. The digital segments are produced with professional artists and filmmakers and feature student cast members from the film and summer musical - bringing immediate relevance and relatability to student learners.

Shaped by certified theatre arts educators and professional artists, the Musical Theatre In A Box Series reaches beyond the classroom walls to bring artists and ideas directly to students and their teachers - in an affordable, flexible, innovative, and adaptable program.

"Fine Arts teachers across all levels are doing vital work with young people - the myriad benefits of arts education are backed by mountains of research - yet many schools struggle to find the resources and time to create engaging content within their curriculum. As a certified K-12 theatre teacher with 14 years of classroom experience, I can honestly say we are bridging that gap with the Musical Theatre In A Box program," said Curriculum and Program Developer Rachael Koske.

Currently offered is award-winning "Scout: An Original Movie Musical" with "How to Musical Theatre" in development, both from Emmy Award-winners Allen Robertson and Damon Brown which each premiered as part of Summer Stock Austin in 2021 and 2022 respectively starring middle and high school students. More information can be found at impactarts.org/musical-theatre-in-a-box.

"The program is a helping hand, giving you something that's a little more challenging and that challenges your kids, but doesn't make you go through a new obstacle." expressed middle and high school theatre teacher, Tommie Jackson, who uses the program. "It allows the students to grow and learn while you, as the teacher, also grow and learn as you teach them. And now you have this in your arsenal. Now you can go back and build on these lessons. Now that I've done it here, I can tailor these lessons to work with my kids."

Additional Impact Arts educational programs Summer Stock Austin (SSA) and Texas Arts Project (TAP) offer arts training and experiences that empower young artists through education, performance and celebration along with sponsorship.

Going into its 18th season, Summer Stock Austin is uniquely a production company and educational training program in one. It offers high school and college students an opportunity to train, perform and engage in all aspects of theatre and film production in a fast-paced professional atmosphere. Summer Stock Austin culminates with full-staged musical productions and original musicals for family audiences - all tuition-free. More information can be found at impactarts.org/summer-stock-austin.

TAP Camp will take place in person at St. Stephen's Episcopal School Summer 2023, for ages 9-17 with culminating in a final showcase performance in the Helm Theatre on St. Stephen's School campus. More information can be found at impactarts.org/tap-camp.

Other education components of Impact Arts include Private Lesson Studio, In-School Workshops and Teacher Development.

Offering one-on-one virtual coaching sessions supporting audition and performance needs for all levels of talent, Impact Arts' Private Lesson Studio works with each student to match and schedule them with a teaching artist. Coaching varies from Song/Monologue selections and consultation, monologue coaching, resume coaching, dance coaching, and more. More information can be found at impactarts.org/private-lessons-studio.

Other programs of Impact Arts include In-School Workshops, clinics, and master classes conducted by experienced artists and educators and tailored to the needs of each school and class. Each instruction can be conducted as a one-time workshop or multi-session series covering subjects such as Shakespeare, musical theatre, auditions, truthful acting, costuming for theatre and tech tune-up. More information on in-school workshops, clinics and master classes can be found at impactarts.org/inschool-workshops.

For teachers looking to develop their arts curriculum, guidance is offered in the areas of Shakespeare, musical theatre, directing for the stage, curriculum building, and topics for teachers-directors. Teacher Development can be arranged through the district and for a single school, multiple schools, across that district, or including additional districts. More information for teacher development can be found at impactarts.org/teacher-development.

Additionally, the Heller Awards for Young Artists (HAYA) is a Tony Awards style program that brings together over thirty schools, shining the spotlight on hard work and excellence of thousands of students and teachers involved in arts education in the Greater Austin area. Produced each Spring by the Long Center, in partnership with Impact Arts, the HAYA's celebrate young artists and excellence in musical theatre. More information on the Heller Awards can be found at impactarts.org/heller-awards.

About Impact Arts Impact Arts is a 501c3 nonprofit with Summer Stock Austin, Texas Arts Project, Digital Learning Series, In-School Workshops, Teacher Workshops, and Private Lesson Studio all under the organization. Created by Ginger Morris, Victor Villalobos and Donelvan Thigpen, Impact Arts is committed to lifelong learning. Creating experiences that impact students, audiences, and communities, Impact Arts believes in quality arts training and mentorship; work that surprises, inspires, and entertains audiences; and uniting individuals and cultivating a passion for the arts.

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