POLY ARTS FOR YOUTH (PAFY) is Cal Poly Arts’ education enrichment program for students K-12. Our world-class touring artists engage directly with children in their own classrooms or in intimate workshops, allowing for impactful cultural and artistic experiences.

In the 2023-2024 season, PAFY K-12 programs will include a unique workshop combining puppetry, dance and LED technology with Lightwire Theater, a music workshop with Latin Grammy winners 123 Andrés, and interactive acting workshops with the talented casts of Tomás and the Library Lady and NORTH: The Musical. We are excited to bring world-class artists into schools including the Grammy award-winning Turtle Island Quartet who will give a lecture/demonstration, The Queen’s Cartoonists showing cartoons with perfectly synchronized jazz accompaniment, and The Concert Truck showcasing two classical pianists performing out of a fully outfitted 16-foot box truck, bringing the concert hall directly to the students.

NORTH: The Musical
Wednesday, January 17, 2024  
1 in-school workshop  

  • After watching the new musical NORTH which uses music, dance and theater, to tell the story of a precocious teenage boy and his young mother as they escape the Deep South and travel North through the Underground Railroad seeking freedom, one lucky class will get a special visit from cast member Alyssa Holmes who will lead the class in a dance in musical theater workshop. Alyssa is a graduate from Howard University, where she got a BFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Dance. 

  • Grades: 8+  

  • Genre: Dance and Musical Theater

  • Time: Morning before noon  

  • Duration: 60 minutes 

  • Participants: Up to 40  

  • Other: Need a space large enough for the 40 students to be able to dance

Turtle Island Quartet
Friday, January 19, 2024
1 in-school workshop  

Turtle Island Quartet has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. The Grammy award winning quartet will visit a school for a lecture/demonstration. Based on students grade level teachers can choose from 2 programs. For 6th – 12th graders The Art Of The Groove is an exploration of rhythm in classical and popular forms. For K – 6th graders, The String Quartet is Like a Family utilizes the model of the family to help students understand how a string quartet functions and thrives  

  • Grades: K-6  The String Quartet is Like a Family
    or 6-12 The Art Of The Groove  

  • Genre: Music   

  • Time: TBD  

  • Duration: 60 minutes  

  • Participants: Up to 700  

  • Other: For groups as small as 50, some amplification is required. If the event is held in a theater/auditorium, then full amplification is required, regardless of the number of audience attendees. Please reach out to Cal Poly Arts for more details  

Tomás and the Library Lady
Friday, January 26, 2024
1 workshop at the PAC   

  • Embrace the magic of storytelling alongside the cast of Tomás and the Library Lady! Using Object Transformation, a drama technique in which everyday items change through imagination and pantomime, participants will explore how stories can be created using items close at hand and will begin to see new potential in the world around them. Cast members will facilitate this interactive, collaborative workshop that encourages students to engage deeper with the theatrical experience and build connections to their own lives after seeing the performance. 

  • Grades: K – 5 

  • Genre: Theater 

  • Time: Approximately 1 pm after the student matinee  

  • Duration: 55 minutes post-student matinee  

  • Participants: 30-35 students or one class  

Lightwire Theater
Monday, February 26, 2024
2 in-school workshops

  • Lightwire combines theater, dance and technology to bring stories to life in complete darkness and are internationally recognized for their signature brand of electroluminescent artistry. Students will learn a short piece of choreography from the show during which the students will learn the process of bringing a character to life and use movement as a tool to express emotions. This workshop is designed for students with little to no dance experience.  

  • Grades: 1 – 6

  • Genres: Theater and Dance

  • Time: One workshop in the morning and one in the afternoon 

  • Duration: 45- 60 minutes 

  • Participants: up to 30 students  

  • Other: Need a space that can get relatively dark to see LED lights 

The Queen’s Cartoonists
Friday, March 8, 2024
1 workshop at the PAC  

The Queen’s Cartoonists bring cartoons to life with perfectly synchronized music from over 100 years of animation. This masterclass is designed for middle school, high school, or college music students. It can be done with orchestra, band, wind ensemble, jazz band, or choir classes. Music appropriate to students’ proficiency level will be sent out in advance and they will have the opportunity to play with and learn from the artists onstage at the PAC. Students may even have the chance to perform with the artist during the evening show. It is expected that the students will study the music in class before the master class takes place. 

  • Grades: 7 – 12  

  • Genre: Music

  • Time: 1:30pm  

  • Duration: 45-60 minutes 

  • Participants: TBD please inquire  

  • Other: Option to have students perform 1-2 numbers during the evening show (subject to artist approval)  

The Concert Truck
Wednesday - Friday of March 13 – 15
2 in-school performances  

  • The Concert Truck is a mobile music venue that strengthens communities by redefining the concert experience and making live music accessible to all. Impassioned by their love for music and belief in its emotional power, pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang converted a 16-foot box truck into a fully functioning mobile concert hall, complete with lights, sound system, and piano. If you have an outdoor space and an interest in sharing classical music with your school, this experience is for you.  

  • Grades: K -12  

  • Genre: Music

  • Time: TBD based on school and artist schedules  

  • Other: Need an outdoor location to park a box truck

123 Andrés
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
1 in-school workshop  

  • Andrés and Christina are the Latin Grammy-winning music duo 123 Andrés. Their catchy songs and lively performances get everyone singing, and learning! These high-energy, joyful performers offer workshops that highlight Latin American culture and music as well as teaching students songwriting and creativity. This bilingual workshop can be adapted to serve primarily Spanish speakers, primarily non-Spanish speakers or a blend of both.

  • Grades: Pre-K – 6

  • Genre: Music

  • Time: 9:30 or 10am  

  • Duration: 45-60 minutes 

  • Participants: 30-35 students or one class  

For more information on these incredible opportunities,
contact Maria Taylor at mtaylo83@calpoly.edu