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Make magical moments for everyonein our community.
Engaging the community and creating access to arts experiences at the Kauffman Center
Photo by Cody Boston.
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is passionate about providing youth in our community opportunities to experience high quality performing arts, learn about the facility, and even plan for a future in the arts.
Please sign up at the bottom of the page to join our educator email list and be informed of upcoming opportunities during the school year.
The Kauffman Center is proud to present a wide-range of matinee experiences for students throughout the school year. All student matinee tickets are $2 each, and ticket applications are required. Kauffman Center student matinees are recommended for middle school-aged students.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE 2023 STUDENT MATINEES:
Sandesh Kadur, Photographer and Filmmaker **SOLD OUT**
Wild Cats of India
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
While many of India’s big cats are well known and thoroughly documented, photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur is on a mission to highlight the country’s lesser-known felines to protect their future. Through Kadur’s captivating images and video, you’ll get an up-close look at a world of wild cats you’ve never seen before.
Mark Synnott, Climber and Adventure Writer
Life on the Vertical
Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
Mark Synnott is a man ever on the brink of discovery. As a big wall rock climber, he’s made legendary first ascents of some of the world’s tallest and most forbidding walls, from those in Baffin Island to Pakistan. Today he uses his skills to break scientific ground, reaching incredibly inaccessible environments in search of rare species. Synnott’s stories from the cliffs inspire students to leverage their own unique skills and make their own discoveries.
Reserve School Matinee Tickets
Contact opendoors@kauffmancenter.org with questions.
School matinees are eligible for bus transportation assistance through our Open Doors program. Transportation assistance applications and more information can be found here.
Any school in the five-county metropolitan Kansas City area and outside the KC metro can submit an order form to purchase tickets for students and chaperones to attend any of the Kauffman Center Presents student matinees. Homeschool groups are also welcome to purchase tickets to these performances.
Orders will be processed as they are received and confirmation emails with order information will be sent to the teacher within 2-3 weeks. Teachers are then responsible for sending relevant details to administrators to begin payment process.
Each year, there will be over twenty school matinee performances, and they are listed under the Student Matinee page of our website. At this time, all student matinee performances qualify for the Open Doors Transportation Assistance program. Please be aware that only groups with more than 20 students who are traveling by bus are invited to apply. Also, transportation assistance applications must be submitted at least five business days prior to the scheduled performance.
If your approved group needs to cancel a student matinee reservation, please let the Kauffman Center know as early as possible by sending a notification to . Tickets must be paid for in full no later than one month prior to the performance date. Any school that cancels beyond that deadline will not receive a refund.
Yes, you can adjust your numbers as needed, but all changes are subject to ticket availability. All changes must be made by one month prior to the performance date when ticket payment is also due.
For any other questions, please send an email to Open Doors at .
LINK UP: THE ORCHESTRA SINGS
All tickets are $2. Recommended for grades 3 – 5.
KINDERKONZERTS: SYMPHONY’S WILD ADVENTURE
All tickets are $2. Recommended for grades K – 3.
Click here for more information.
Contact info for questions:
Stephanie Brimhall
Director of Education & Community Engagement
816.218.2639
Devon Carney’s world premiere choreography accompanied by Prokofiev’s captivating music brings this enchanting story to life. Enjoy a special twist on this favorite fairy tale where the characters are sure to delight. The Fairy Godmother, the pumpkin that becomes a carriage, fairies weaving spells, the handsome prince, and of course, the wicked stepmother and riotous, bumbling stepsisters all come together to tell this beloved story.
World Premiere Choreography: Devon Carney
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Music performed by Kansas City Symphony
Click here for more information and to complete a ticket order form.
Contact info for tickets:
April Berry
Director of Community Engagement and Education
816.216.5583
2022-2023 Student Dress Rehearsal Opportunities
All shows are recommended for grades 5 and above. All operas are performed in their original language with English subtitles and accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony.
Click here for more information and to register.
Neal Long
Director of Education & Community Engagement
816.802.6054
Störling Dance Theater’s Underground
Storling Dance Theater’s powerful and historically accurate presentation of the Underground Railroad in the United States. Reserve seats today for your class to one of the most powerful and inspiring educational field trips. Chosen by the American Educational Research Association as one of the top examples of an Arts & Education collaboration in the United States.
All tickets are $5 and the show runs approximately 2 hours.
Click here for more information and to complete a ticket order form.
For questions, please reach out to:
Tonya Franken
913.393.3141
Be among the first to learn about educational opportunities at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts by signing up for our Education Email List. By opting into this education email list, you will receive information about Kauffman Center educational programs as well as performances that will be presented at the Kauffman Center.
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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