The Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 West Walnut St., Milwaukee was formed in 2002. It began as a collaboration between the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and First Stage Children’s Theater. The Milwaukee Youth Art Center now serves as home for First Stage, MYSO and its program partners, Danceworks, Festival City Symphony, African American Children’s Theatre and Milwaukee Children’s Choir.
“We are the brick and mortar facility for organizations that serve youth in the community,” said Brad Bingheim, facilities manager in charge day to day activity at MYAC. “For us, the collaboration that goes on here epitomizes what we are all about. It started with MYSO and First Stage Children’s Theater realizing they could accomplish so much more together, and it has expanded across so many organizations in the community.”
The Center recently held a national symposium on collaboration in youth arts education that brought people in from all over the country to see what MYAC has succeeded in doing for the community, Bingheim said.
“What we are doing here really hasn’t been replicated to this extent anywhere else in the country,” Bingheim said. “We hope to be an example for other communities that collaboration really can work.”
Fran Richman, executive director of the Milwaukee Symphony Youth Orchestra and Rob Goodman, managing director of First Stage Children’s Theater realized early on they would never be able to embark on the capital campaign needed to supply each of them with a brand new facility that would meet their needs. By partnering, they were able to reach a whole new audience of donors and successfully raise $12 million to construct a facility that would meet both their needs, Richman said.
The Center consists of 55,000 sq. ft. of program space that includes five rehearsal halls with high ceilings and proper acoustics, nine classrooms, two small practice rooms and studio spaces, Bingheim said. The largest rehearsal space is the 3,800 sq. ft. and can also be used as a small performance hall.
Both MYSO and First Stage Children’s Theater use the Center for rehearsal space and educational programming, but continue to present their major performances at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and other spaces in the community.
“The Milwaukee Youth Arts Center strives to provide affordable access to spaces within this facility to arts and educational organizations in the community,” Bingheim said. “Over the last five years we have served numerous community organizations and nonprofit organizations who have utilized the facility for their programming, rehearsals, performances, fundraising events and or meetings. We want to be that needed resource for organizations in the community.”
To view a video interview with Bingheim and to learn more about the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center watch the BizTimes video interview below.
