Community Programs
Access the Arts
SPAC School of the Arts offers daytime classes tailored to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, encouraging them to discover the art of self-expression. Through our accessible programming, our goal is to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment where creativity can flourish for everyone.
Creative Connections
In partnership with community organizations, students explore the arts through music, dance, theatre, puppets, and more every Saturday morning in this innovative arts education program with SOTA faculty and special guest artists!
Summer Camp
Arts & Parks Summer Camp at SPAC School of the Arts is a summer arts enrichment program provided at no cost to children entering grades 3-8 from participating youth-serving organizations. The 3-week, half-day summer program provides approximately 40 children with engaging and inclusive music, theatre, dance, and visual arts classes, as well as weekly recreational trips to local outdoor parks and attractions. Partnering organizations include Franklin Community Center, Capital District Latinos, St. Catherine’s Center for Children, and Maple Ave Middle School Guidance Counseling Dept. Transportation is provided for all campers, as well as free breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
Summer Nights at SPAC
Our Summer Nights at SPAC program provides free transportation, meals, and amphitheater seating to hundreds of children and family members at select performances during the SPAC summer season. Working alongside local organizations that provide services to youth and families, we offer unforgettable, first-time experiences with the performing arts.
Festival of Young Artists
The Festival of Young Artists is a free community event and online gallery that is presented annually to celebrate the creativity of hundreds of the Capital Region’s brightest young actors, dancers, musicians, singers, poets, and visual artists. Check out the current online gallery and learn more about the next live festival event!
Pop-Up Choir
SPAC School of the Arts’ Pop-Up Choir is a welcoming, one day community singing experience where people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities come together to connect through music. Participants receive materials in advance and spend a few uplifting hours building confidence, fostering belonging, and celebrating the shared joy and healing power of collective creativity.
Education Events with New York City Ballet
During New York City Ballet’s summer residency at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, SPAC Education hosts a series of engaging workshops led by NYCB dancers that invite participants into the artistry, athleticism, and creative process of professional ballet. Designed for all ages and abilities, these inclusive experiences offer meaningful opportunities to learn movement, explore musicality, and connect more deeply to the magic happening on stage.
Education Events with The Philadelphia Orchestra
During The Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer residency at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, SPAC Education offers dynamic opportunities that bring the community into the music making process. Signature experiences like the PlayIn invite local musicians of all ages and skill levels to rehearse and perform side by side with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra on the SPAC stage, creating a powerful and unforgettable moment of shared artistry.