FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023

Contact:
Ellen McDonald, Publicist
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
816.213.4355 | publicity@kauffmancenter.org

Karen Badgett, Director of Marketing & Community Engagement
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
816.994.7229 | kbadgett@kauffmancenter.org

Future Stages Festival Celebrates 10 Years

The Kauffman Center’s annual free, community event will take place on June 11, 2023.

Future Stages Festival - June 11, 2023 from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Free event, Family friendly

Kansas City, MO - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is excited to announce that the 10th annual Future Stages Festival will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2023, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This free community event showcases Kansas City’s diversity in the performing arts and features hundreds of young artists in an array of performances that the whole family can enjoy. As an extension of the Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Spotlight on Youth programs, the festival gives youth and community arts organizations the opportunity to perform on world-class stages and to celebrate the arts.

The first nine Future Stages Festival events (virtual in 2020 and 2021) featured approximately 6,000 young people from 100 community arts organizations.

The 10th Future Stages Festival aims to continue the tradition by featuring hundreds of youth performers and providing engaging arts activities for all festival guests. Young artists will be featured on stages in Helzberg Hall and Muriel Kauffman Theatre as well as on the Saint Luke’s Outdoor Stage. Additional festival activities take place throughout Brandmeyer Great Hall, on the south lawn, in the Kansas City Symphony’s Mobile Music Box and in the PNC PlaySpace located in the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery area.

The festival is FREE and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at kauffmancenter.org/futurestages to receive the latest event updates and schedule for performances and activities. Registration is optional but encouraged, and no tickets will be issued.

CALL FOR YOUTH PERFORMER APPLICATIONS

Applications are now open for young performers and local youth arts groups to be a part of the 2023 Future Stages Festival. Community arts organizations and school programs are encouraged to apply. Performance groups should primarily consist of youth performers between the ages of five and 18. Large groups and small acts will be accepted.

Performance Group Applications

The deadline for performer applications is Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Future Stages Festival is presented by Premier Partner Saint Luke’s Health System.


This event is also supported by PNC, the Missouri Arts Council and the Marlese and Robert Gourley Children’s Fund.

ABOUT THE OPEN DOORS PROGRAM

The Kauffman Center Open Doors program connects young people to the arts through three major components:

  • The Open Doors Spotlight on Youth initiative offers year-round programs and engagement opportunities that connect young people with the Kauffman Center.
  • The Open Doors Community Tickets program offers free and reduced-price performance tickets to underserved audiences through local social service agencies and schools.
  • The Open Doors Transportation Fund helps schools offer high quality performing arts experiences to students by eliminating or defraying the costs of bus transportation.

More information about the Open Doors community engagement programs is available at: kauffmancenter.org/open-doors.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Receive updates by following our Facebook page at facebook.com/kauffmancenter, Instagram page at instagram.com/kauffmancenter and Twitter page at twitter.com/kauffmancenter. Watch videos at youtube.com/kauffmancenter and follow our blog at kauffmancenter.org/news.

MEDIA

Visit the Kauffman Center’s online press room for media resources, multimedia library, press release archive and more: kauffmancenter.org/about/press-room

ABOUT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts - a major not-for-profit center for music, opera, theater and dance designed by Moshe Safdie - opened in 2011. Honored as one of the World's 15 Most Beautiful Concert Halls, the Kauffman Center serves as a cultural cornerstone for Kansas City and the region delivering extraordinary and diverse arts experiences.

Through education outreach programs and community engagement, the Kauffman Center nurtures a love of the arts for present and future generations. For more information, visit kauffmancenter.org.