Madison Visionary Partners Awards Fantasy Playhouse a Community Impact Grant
Madison’s popular children’s theatre and fine arts group, Fantasy Playhouse, has received a significant financial boost. The Madison Visionary Partners (MVP) has chosen to assist the group’s work with a Community Impact Grant. The donation, totaling $2,500, will support the Playhouse’s initiative to expand its outreach programs and positively affect more local families.
A Breathing Space for Arts Education in Madison
As an integral part of North Alabama’s arts education since 1961, Fantasy Playhouse believes in democratizing access to quality arts learning. In the last ten years, the organization has tirelessly sought funding from private sources, foundations, and grants to make theatre arts education freely accessible to students in vulnerable situations.
Regardless of their chosen career paths, students who partake in theatre arts education acquire meaningful life skills. From growing self-confidence, advancing public speaking abilities, and enhancing problem-solving skills, to cultivating empathy, these are all invaluable aptitudes they take beyond the theatre.
Impacting Statistics and Empowering Communities
The payoff for students engaged in the arts is quite remarkable, as they are:
- Four times more likely to participate in school math or science fairs.
- 17% more likely to volunteer in their communities.
- 21% more likely to vote at 18 years old.
- Twice as likely to pursue and obtain a college degree.
This influential Community Impact Grant enables Fantasy Playhouse to extend its theatre arts opportunities to more Madison families. Fantasy Playhouse serves an impressive 11,000 plus students in Madison and Limestone counties annually.
Building Future Stars with After-School Programs
The after-school theatre programs that Fantasy Playhouse offers have not only fostered interest in theatre in students from grades K-5, but they’ve also led to increased theatre participation in local middle schools and high schools. The initiative can be seen through a growing partnership with Madison City Schools, which utilizes Fantasy Playhouse as a theatre training ground for high school theatre departments.
A great illustration of this successful partnership can be seen in the free peer-to-peer puppetry class offered to Bob Jones theatre students staged for a production of “Charlotte’s Web”. Other community engagement initiatives by Fantasy Playhouse include the Madison Street Festival, “Fridays with Fantasy” at Dublin Park, and a summer camp at Bob Jones.
Madison Visionary Partners: Enhancing Quality of Life
Established in 2014 by community and business leaders, MVP operates as a community nonprofit organization leading projects to enhance life quality in Madison. The organisation is an apolitical 501(c)(3) association governed by a Board of Directors.
To learn more about Fantasy Playhouse, the transformative effect of their work, or to contribute to the growth of the arts within Madison, please visit the Fantasy Playhouse website. For further details about the MVP, its programs, and how to become a member or contribute, visit the Madison Visionary Partners website.