Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre’s arts education organization rang in 16 years of service at the annual donor luncheon on Feb. 19, where supporters and members gathered on the stage to look at the impacts and changes of the ArtsBridge Foundation over the years.
Founded in 2007, ArtsBridge functions as the arts education arm of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The nonprofit runs several programs aimed at filling the “A” in STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
“That ‘A’ is what rounds them out as a whole human being,” Executive Director Jennifer Dobbs said. “It helps them with social interaction, understanding diversity and having empathy.
Dobbs said that while arts are a “key piece” to education, many schools don’t have the capacity to provide robust art education anymore. A study by the Georgia Council for the Arts found that, in general, arts classes in Georgia are available at a right slightly higher than the average for the South but slightly lower than the national average.
Of those arts classes, visual art and music dominate over creative writing, dance and theater classes — only 67 percent of Georgia high schools offer theater instruction. But those programs are more available to students in wealthier and more urban school districts.
That’s where ArtsBridge comes in. Across 16 years, the organization has served nearly 425,000 students and 70 Georgia counties through field trips, workshops, a snack pack program, and the annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as the Shulers.
The Shuler Awards feed into the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as the Jimmy Awards. Both the Shuler and Jimmy Awards are referred to as “the Tonys for high schoolers.”
As of 2024, 61 high schools and nearly 5,000 students across Georgia are participating in the statewide musical theater competition. Each year, they gather at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for a live broadcast that compiles the best shows and performances from around the state.
“When we think about the impact of arts and know that that is what we’re touching on a yearly basis, we are moving the needle,” ArtsBridge Arts Education Director Beth Lenhart said. “We’re making a difference; we are getting people in that kind of environment and celebrating them.”
Denmark High School Artistic Director Kirk Grizzle started participating in the Shulers 15 years ago, one year after it began. He was inspired after finding the broadcast on television one night and realizing that his “kids could do that.”
“If you can look past the competition aspect and realize that you are working with the resources, meeting the students where they are, meeting the program where it is, and creating the best theater possible,” Grizzle said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Executive Director Jennifer Dobbs said that coming into 2024, the nonprofit is in a “sweet spot,” but she wants to keep adjusting and expanding the programs as it moves forward.
“We’re at this point of where we can adjust and/or pivot to allow ourselves to better meet our mission and vision of offering and expanding our programming, continually ensuring that we provide access for all,” Dobbs said.
ArtsBridge recently added the “snack pack program” that provided field trip attendees with a free bag of take-home snacks in hopes of “breaking down another barrier.” The nonprofit offers admission subsidies and transportation subsidies as well.
To keep adjusting, Dobbs said ArtsBridge would release a strategic plan in March that will chart out the nonprofit’s next three years. One of their main goals in the coming years is to “bring programming to communities.”
ArtsBridge aims to make events in the theater accessible, but even with buses and affordable field trips, Dobss knows some students won’t be able to join. In the future, she hopes to partner with local arts organizations in Georgia.
“As we continue our efforts to eliminate barriers, that means we may have to go outside of our building into the actual communities,” Dobbs said.
The executive director’s main focus is keeping the organization from being “stagnant.” She said the team is always looking at new programs to stay relevant and new methods to reach people.
“This sweet spot is us being able to take a look at what people say they need and how we can better respond to it,” Dobbs said.
