Get ready for youth artists to dance, sing and perform their way into your living room during the weekend-long virtual Future Stages Festival June 12 and 13.

We are excited to announce the talented youth performance groups that will take the stage (virtually) at our eighth annual Future Stages Festival. On June 12 and 13, audiences will enjoy engaging, free digital content and do-it-at-home arts activities. 

Similar to the 2020 virtual festival, audiences will explore an online portal of riveting youth performance videos. However, new this year is the opportunity for viewers to interact with content and their community in new ways. Five youth groups pre-recorded performances on the Kauffman Center stages, and these videos will premiere June 12 on the Center’s Facebook page. Viewers will revel in the ribbon twirling, pirouettes, rhythmic drum lines and more!  

This interactive platform will give attendees an opportunity to connect with the content by commenting in real time. For the first time, the Future Stages Festival webpage will offer an applause wall that allows viewers to give kudos and shout out their favorite performances and activities by posting on social media with #VirtualFutureStages. Additionally, families can follow along with livestreamed activities led by staff and community partners, as well as enjoy a family-friendly activity booklet full of crafts, coloring pages and other engaging projects for all ages. 

Youth performance groups that will join the 2021 festival include:  

• 18th Street Combo from Kansas City Jazz Academy
• AileyCamp the Group
• Chilanka School of Dance
• Crescendo Conservatory
• Gurukul Dance Company
• Heart of America Youth Ballet
• HK Chinese Folk Dance Group
• Harmony Project KC
• Ice Studios School of Dance
• Kansas City Ballet School
• Kansas City Boys Choir/Kansas City Girls Choir
• Kansas City Movement
• KC Youth Percussion Ensemble
• Lawrence Ballet Theatre
• Lily Zhang Li Taylor Dance Academy
• Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Kansas City
• MSA Crescendo Project Orchestra
• Pythons Drill Team
• String Sprouts KC
• The A-Flat Youth Orchestra
• The Culture House Conservatory of Dance Youth Ensemble
• Youth Symphony of Kansas City, Symphony Orchestra

Arts content and activities generously provided by: 

• American Institute of Architects Kansas City
• American Jazz Museum
• American Theatre Guild
• Drum Safari
• Global FC (Futbol Community)
• Heart of America Shakespeare Festival
• Jan Kraybill
• Kansas City Ballet
• Kansas City PBS
• Kansas City Public Library
• Kansas City Symphony
• Kathak Aura
• Katie Minion, DoodleStation
• Lyric Opera of Kansas City
• Mattie Rhodes Center
• Saint Luke’s Health System
• Science City
• StoneLion Puppet Theatre
• The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• The Whole Person
• Three Trails Taiko
• UMKC Conservatory Academy
• Vania Soto

 Stay up to date about virtual Future Stages Festival, and RSVP for this year’s event here.

Virtual Future Stages Festival is presented by Premier Partner Saint Luke’s Health System. 

This project is sponsored in part by the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank Trustee, Anonymous, National Endowment for the Arts, the Marlese and Robert Gourley Children’s Fund, the Frank and Margaret McGee Fund, Missouri Arts Council, JE Dunn Construction and the NuWin Foundation. 

ABOUT THE OPEN DOORS PROGRAM 

The Kauffman Center Open Doors  program connects young people to the arts through three major components: 

• The Open Doors  Spotlight on Youth  initiative offers year-round programs and engagement opportunities that connect young people with the Kauffman Center. 
• The Open Doors  Community Tickets  program offers free and reduced price performance tickets to underserved audiences through local social service agencies and schools. 
• The Open Doors  Transportation Fund  helps schools offer high-quality performing arts experiences to students by eliminating or defraying the costs of bus transportation. 

More information about Open Doors programs is available at:  kauffmancenter.org/open-doors. 

Follow the Kauffman Center on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get details about upcoming performances and behind-the-scenes access.