Future Stages Festival Youth Performance Group Application

Thank you for your interest in starring in the 2026 Future Stages Festival at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Youth performance groups interested in performing are required to complete this online application in full.

Note that you must initial after each section as confirmation. The application will need to be completed in its entirety and cannot be saved or revisited throughout the submittal process.

At the end of the application, you must press “submit” to complete the application process. All application materials must be received by end of day Monday, March 2, 2026, and will then be reviewed by the selection committee throughout the month of March.

Applying does not guarantee a performance slot at Future Stages Festival.

If you have any questions or need assistance accessing the application, please email us at futurestages@kauffmancenter.org. We are happy to help!

Youth performance groups of all sizes are considered. Ideal applicants have been actively performing in the community (ex. approximately three - five annual performances) for a minimum of two years.

This year, a stipend of $200 is awarded to each selected performance group to help cover the cost of transportation to the festival or associated performance expenses.

The festival features multiple stages – the outdoor small ensemble stage, outdoor Saint Luke's stage, indoor Muriel Kauffman Theatre, and indoor Helzberg Hall. Stage assignments are made at the discretion of festival organizers and are based on many factors including type of program, size of performance group, production requirements, and scheduling availability. Out of fairness and respect for all of our youth artists, performance group requests are not considered a factor in stage placement decisions.

Your performance must be appropriate for a family-friendly audience.

Your youth performance group must be made up of primarily youth performers between five - 18 years old. If you plan to feature soloists or train a special spotlight on a performer, we highly recommend that they be a youth performer rather than adult performer or teacher, as the intention of the event is to highlight youth talent in the Kansas City area.

Your group must deliver a complete performance that fills 20 minutes of time. An additional five minutes just for set up and five minutes just for strike will be worked into your time slot. To ensure each performance group receives their full allotted five minutes of set up, 20-minute performance time, and five minutes of strike, no extra set-up or sound check time will be available to any performance groups. Performance groups must design a performance that can be set up and achieved within this time frame.

Your group must provide their own costumes, music or accompaniment (if needed) and transportation to and from the event.

Your group must be available during the entire festival day from 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Specific performance time slots and itinerary will be communicated to each group approximately six weeks prior to the festival.

Performance group cancellations may be made in an emergency no less than six weeks prior to the event. Groups that cancel after the six-week deadline may not be accepted for future festivals.

Photography and video will be taken during the festival of all public performances and activities and may feature youth performance group participants. Photos and video captured by our approved festival staff may be used in future promotional materials, marketing and communications. Photos will be shared with youth performance groups via e-mail after the event and may be used for the groups’ own promotional purposes as long as credit is given to the photographer(s) and videographer(s).

If selected, youth performance groups will be required to complete the following forms by the stated deadline without exception. We will provide the forms when we notify you of your group’s selection.
1. Performance Agreement to be completed by main contact.
2. W-9 Form to be completed by main contact.
3. Event Waiver to be completed by EACH performer (or their guardian if under 18) and chaperone who will be backstage. For the safety of all, any performers and chaperones who have not submitted a completed waiver two weeks before the event will not be allowed to enter the backstage area or perform.

This is how your group will be listed in the event program, website and all promotions.

This is how your group's program will be listed in the event program.

Consider this your audition for the Future Stages Festival, and note that group selection is primarily based on the video performance sample.

Your video must have been taken in the last three years.

Judges will watch the first five minutes of your video.

We highly recommend presenting a recorded performance or rehearsal of a large portion of a piece/selection rather than a promotional video or short clip so the judges can get a full picture of your performers' talent.

Select a sample that very closely resembles the performance that you would like to present at the Future Stages Festival. If your video contains elements that will not be in your performance (e.g., the video includes several adult performers but the group performing at Future Stages Festival will be youth performers only) or is missing elements that will be included in your Future Stages Festival performance (e.g., instead of a backtrack, the instructor artist will provide accompaniment on a piano), we encourage you to share this context with the judges in the performance notes section below. The more information you provide to paint a full picture of your performance, the better!