Kansas City Arts Partners
In the Arts Partners program, we work with school districts to bring the educational resources of Kansas City's best arts organizations, combined with our programming, to enhance the education of students.
A consortium of 14 Kansas City arts organizations representing all the artistic disciplines: music, dance, theatre, visual arts & literary arts. We collaborate to provide comprehensive arts experiences to school districts across the Kansas City area through in-school workshops, residencies and field trips.
Two principles guide the Arts Partners program:
Children succeed when schools make the arts integral to basic education
Every child deserves equal access to the arts
Why join Arts Partners?
Dedicated support of our Arts Partners liaison to help design your customized Arts Partners Plan
Our liaison is your single point of contact to coordinate and make your programs happen
Simplicity and efficiency of installment billing
Preferred scheduling
Are you interested in joining us as a School District or Professional Arts Organization partner?
Are you an existing school partner with questions about programming? Check out our FAQ’s, or contact us using the button below.
"We believe Arts Partners is one of the primary opportunities for underserved children to experience the richness of Kansas City’s wonderful arts organizations... these programs bring life to children’s studies and will bring memorable activities that strengthen knowledge like math, science, and English. "
"I would like to thank Arts Partners for the tremendous support you provide to the Grandview School District. The partnership with KCYA has enabled our district to implement a systematic framework to ensure children at all grade levels have the opportunity to participate in these local artistic experiences."
"I loved how clean the place was and how beautiful the sets were. The singing was awesome, and I enjoyed it very much. I loved this experience and would love to do this again! "
Meet The Kansas City Arts Partners:
This is where jazz lives. At the American Jazz Museum, it's all about the music.
Visit the Jazz Museum Website
To provide professional classic and contemporary theatre which challenges audience and artist and to provide educational, dramatic outreach programs in the community.
The mission of HASF is to make Shakespeare's works accessible to a diverse audience through free professional theatre and educational programs.
From the beginning we have played the greatest music from the Baroque and Classical eras and beyond, with outstanding soloists, great venues, and incredible musicians.
To make dance accessible to all by teaching young people critical life skills through dance, and to model interracial and multi-cultural community partnerships.
To serve as one of the nation's leading theatres by producing innovative works that are diverse and timely, and to provide transformative educational services.
The mission of Kansas City Young Audiences is to engage all youth in the arts, promote creativity, and inspire success in education.
Enriching lives through the experience of contemporary are, the Kemper exhibits, collects, and educates in a free and welcoming environment.
To enrich the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds throughout the region by offering a broad repertoire of professional operatic experiences.
Mattie Rhodes Center enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities in a respectful, multicultural environment.
Every day in all we do, the Nelson-Atkins is committed to nurturing excellence, inspiring creativity, and building community through the power of art.
Every day in all we do, the Nelson-Atkins is committed to nurturing excellence, inspiring creativity, and building community through the power of art.
Innovative storytelling that captures imaginations and inspires communities.
Arts Partners FAQs
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When putting together a plan, you should be able to answer the following questions:
Who will be the main contact for the school district?
How many students are in each grade level?
How many classes are there per grade level?
What main curriculum themes should be explored through our Arts Partners plan?
What do the teachers want for the students (i.e. in-school programs, field trips, a combination of both, etc.)
What have we done in the past?
Have there been changes in the curriculum?
How are we paying for our Arts Partners plan? Do we have a budget set for our plan and if so, how much?
Whch Arts Partners Organizations would you like to include in your school’s plan?
Contact our Arts Partners’ Coordinator with questions or to schedule a planning meeting.
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Your Arts Partners Coordinator and/or the pertinent Arts Partners Organization’s representative will confirm the program by phone or email. Sometimes the written confirmation does double duty as an invoice for the specific organization and as a reminder of the event. Do not send money for the individual programs in your plan. You will receive a Service Agreement, copy of your final approved plan, and an invoice from Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA) for payment for the programs in your plan. This eliminates the need for individual payments, making the administration of your programs more efficient.
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If you need to cancel a program, please contact your KCYA coordinator 2 business days prior to the scheduled program. Clients who cancel a program with fewer than 2 business days notice will be billed the full cost of the program.
If you need to reschedule a program, please contact your KCYA coordinator as soon as possible. Clients who reschedule a program with fewer than 2 business days notice will be charged an additional fee equal to 20% of the total program cost.
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If your school or organization is closed because of inclement weather, please contact us immediately so that we can notify the Teaching Artist. We will then reschedule the program for another date. There will be no rescheduling fee, as weather closures are unpredictable.
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For all workshops, residencies, performances, field trips, tours, etc., a teacher or a school administrator representative must be present with the students at all times and is responsible for their behavior. There are no exceptions to this policy.
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Most Arts Partners Organizations have prepared a Teacher Program Guide for each offering that details the program description, goals and objectives, discussion ideas, teaching artist biography, pre- and post-activities, vocabulary words, and teacher resources. These guide provide the classroom teacher with supplemental information to enhance the educational value of the program.
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Kansas City Young Audiences will email a Service Agreement, finalized approved plan, and an invoice early in the school year. Have the authorized signatory sign the Service Agreement and return it to KCYA. We will then email you a copy of the Service Agreement with KCYA’s Executive Director’s signature.
Any monies left over due to cancellations, adjustments in tickets, or other unfulfilled programs will be refunded or subtracted from the next year’s Arts Partners plan. Any monies due because of additional tickets, programs, materials/supplies, or other considerations will be billed at the conclusion of the school year or added to the next year’s Arts Partners plan.
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Sometimes the written confirmation does double duty as an invoice for the specific organization, but you are not to send money for the individual programs in your plan. It should state on the confirmation/invoice that the program is paid for by Arts Partners. If you have questions about the paperwork, contact your Arts Partners Coordinator.
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Contact your Arts Partners Coordinator to see if there are funds available for your school or district.
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The Arts Partners Advisory Committee is composed of representatives from the Arts Partners organizations and the educational institutions in a collaborative forum facilitating open discourse, advice and counsel. This committee meets once or twice a year.
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Contact Carmen Eppright at ceppright@kcya.org, Arts Partners Coordinator, to discuss setting up a meeting or a presentation about Arts Partners with your Superintendent, Fine Arts Coordinator, Principal, or appropriate persons in your school or district. This is a resource that is unavailable in most cities, but has been transforming lives in our community since 1985..