Arts Education: Cultivating the Next Generation of Theatergoers

Each year, our rich education programming engages thousands of K-12 audiences and their families with a wide range of live performances and films. Here’s what the next generation of theatergoers and their families had to say about how their experience at the Carolina Theatre furthered their appreciation for the theater and the arts.

“When the play first started, I was excited and nervous about what was going to happen to Jonas. Throughout the play, I got more and more focused on the details of the acts, and how the actor would move and use different voices for each character, which made it very entertaining and had me starstruck by the fact the actor could change characters so well. After the play, for the workshop, it was fun! We talked about the play, and afterwards, made a list of people/things we would like to control to make it better, such as YouTube influencers, family,  etc. After that, we talked about how it connects to The Giver, with how people had to use more complex words, and had to do specific things or they could get in serious trouble. I really enjoyed the play and workshop, and I would recommend it to family, friends or just anyone who likes plays in general,” said, Aaliya Holmes, who recently attended the Arts Discovery Educational Series show “Literature To Life- The Giver” and participated in a workshop with the teaching artist following the show.  

“We are so thankful to the Carolina Theater for hosting the Sensory Friendly Film Series and Family Saturday Series. As parents of an autistic child, finding accessible community outings can be challenging and we always find the Carolina Theater a space where we can relax and enjoy movies and shows together in a judgment-free space. It is clear for us that there is a lot of caring thought put into these events, and we consider ourselves fortunate to have this space near our home. We deeply appreciate your commitment to inclusivity (and fun!!),” said, Victoria Villalta, whose son Isaac recently attended a Sensory Friendly Film Series screening at the theater.