Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Announces Four New Schools Selected For Disney Musical In Schools Program

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has announced the four new schools that have been selected to participate in the 2019 - 2020 Disney Musicals in Schools program. The program is an initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Productions to create sustainable theater programs in under-resourced elementary schools. The four schools are a part of Allegheny County and include: Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5, Evergreen Elementary School, Pittsburgh Faison K-5, and Turner Intermediate School.

The selected schools will begin a 17-week musical theater residency in January 2020, led by a team of teaching artists trained by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Disney Theatrical Group. The full list of teaching artist bios can be found in the attached document. The program features a professional development focus, through which participating school teachers work with Pittsburgh Cultural Trust teaching artists to learn how to produce, direct, choreograph and music direct, culminating in their first 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at their school. Each school will receive performance rights, education support materials and guidance from two teaching artists. As a capstone to the experience, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will host a Student Share Celebration in which each school performs one number from their show at the Byham Theater for an audience of students, teachers, family, and community members.

Using the unique world of musical theater, Disney Musicals in Schools helps to foster positive relationships between students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community. Students and teachers work in teams, developing the wide spectrum of skills needed when producing a piece of musical theater, including: critical thinking, problem solving, ensemble building, communication, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills.