The Tivoli Theatre Foundation is excited to introduce TivEd, its latest educational initiative dedicated to educating, enriching, and empowering individuals through the performing arts.
The program will feature year-round opportunities for students and community members to learn about the performing arts, theatrical direction and engage with traditional programming, including the annual Broadway series.
As part of this program, the Tivoli Theatre Foundation successfully launched its first educational opportunity – a virtual Q&A session related to the acclaimed musical, "The Book of Mormon." The virtual Q&A featured lively discussions and insights shared between musical theatre students from the Center for Creative Arts and cast members from the production, delving into the intricacies of the musical theatre profession.
The virtual Q&A was organized by Ellie Austin, Director of Education and moderated by Haven Zametz, Director of Community Engagement at the Tivoli Theatre Foundation. Together, they made this learning opportunity a success by facilitating meaningful dialogue between the students and cast members.
Most recently, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, a Tivoli Theatre Foundation venue, hosted over 5,000 Hamilton County students at the magic of the Chattanooga Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” in person. In addition, the Foundation hosted an opportunity for dance students and their families from the Latino advocacy group La Paz Chattanooga to experience “The Nutcracker” and engage with dancers from the ballet following the performance.
"We are thrilled to launch this program focusing on education through the arts," said Nick Wilkinson, Tivoli Theatre Foundation CEO. “The initiative aims to connect aspiring artists with established talents visiting Chattanooga, attracted by the diverse array of touring shows hosted in the city. Through interactions with our vibrant local artists and performing arts organizations, the goal is to foster a sense of community and inspire the next generation of creative minds.”
Going forward, TivEd plans to host many more behind-the-scenes opportunities, including another virtual talkback in January featuring actors from the Broadway smash hit “Come From Away.” Additionally, the Tivoli Theatre Foundation is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga for the "Big Futures" program. T
hrough this collaboration, the Foundation will provide opportunities for job shadowing and educational experiences focused on careers in the performing arts. This initiative will provide a new way to support and guide young individuals interested in exploring the world of theater, offering them valuable insights and real-world exposure to potential career paths.
The Tivoli Theatre Foundation's TivEd program is just one way the organization is working to make an impact in the community. The recently launched program strives to make the arts accessible to a broad swath of the Chattanooga community, regardless of income or background, focusing especially on public schools and students who would not necessarily have exposure otherwise. In addition, the Tivoli Theatre Foundation hosts many other outreach events, including the upcoming “Meet, Greet, & Give” event this December 16th.
The Tivoli Theatre Foundation‘s “Meet, Greet, & Give” event encourages members of the community to give back this holiday season by collecting new or gently used coats and canned foods for local organizations that give to those in need. Additionally, this coat drive will include a visit from Santa Claus, a letter-writing station for children to share their Christmas wishes, and complimentary movie tickets for those who bring a coat donation.
To stay up to date on future TivEd opportunities and community events, subscribe to their mailing list at tivolichattanooga.com