Boston Children's Theatre Receives $100K From Disney Theatrical Group

Boston Children's Theatre has been awarded a $100,000 grant from Disney to bring the Disney Musicals in Schools program to the Boston public schools. The grant funds two years of programming.

The Disney Musicals in Schools program is an outreach initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create sustainable theater programs in under-resourced elementary schools. Boston Children’s Theatre will select five Boston public elementary schools to participate in 2016, and another five to participate next year.

Selected schools will participate in a 17-week musical theater residency, led by a team of teaching artists trained by BCT and Disney Theatrical Group. Each school will receive performance rights, education support materials, and guidance from the teaching artists, who will instruct participating school teachers how to produce, direct, choreograph, and music-direct their first school show.

The program will culminate in a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at each school site. As a capstone to the experience, BCT will also host a Student Share Celebration in which each school performs one number from their show on a professional stage for an audience of students, teachers, family, and community members.

"There are many lessons children learn when exposed to theater," said BCT executive director and producer Toby Schine. "By working with Disney Musicals in Schools, BCT will be able to provide a valuable experience to the Boston Public schools that otherwise wouldn’t be possible…The program is a wonderful way to build a strong sense of community within the faculty, the students, and the city."

Applications are now being accepted for 2016. For eligibility requirements and application information, click here.