Summer Conservatory

by Wingspan Arts and The New Group

The New Group partners with renowned arts education innovators Wingspan Arts to provide a six-week tuition-free Summer Theater Conservatory for middle school and high school students. 

Combining our own Scene 1 teen acting program with Wingspan’s long-running Summer Conservatory, students learn the skills required to become accomplished actors, vocalists, and theater artists. Serving all students from talented beginners to experienced professionals, the Summer Conservatory strikes a balance between fun and learning that keeps our students coming back year after year. All students have an opportunity to participate in master classes and workshops, as well as a fully-produced musical or drama production.

Founded in 2006, Scene 1 uses an ensemble-based model for students to experience and practice acting with seasoned professionals, including Master Classes with artists from The New Group. The goals of Scene 1 are to develop students’ individual voices as emerging artists; to provide students with rigorous skills-based courses in various aspects of acting; and to create a community of mutually supportive young artists that help each other grow and excel. The young people in this program are an integral part of The New Group Artistic Community, and see our theater as a safe and exciting place to learn and be inspired by one another.

Wingspan Arts aims to enrich the lives of young people in and around New York City through multi-disciplinary arts education programs both in and out of the classroom. Our programs emphasize the value of theatre, music, visual arts, and dance while also using these art forms as tools for communication, personal growth, and self-expression. Founded in 2001 in response to the lack of arts instruction in public schools, Wingspan Arts’ customized programs have benefited thousands of children across the New York Metro Region. By partnering with professional artist-educators who bring their creative experiences and personalized lessons to the classroom, Wingspan has transformed the traditional teacher-student paradigm into an authenticity-driven, community-based learning environment. Through afterschool, in-school, theatre conservatory, and public programs, Wingspan Arts students are empowered both as individuals and as stewards of the expanding arts community. All children have creative promise; however, many may not have means to access the arts. For these families, Wingspan Arts offers tuition-free opportunities, a scholarship program, and free public events as part of our commitment to reaching as many young people as possible. This helps fulfill our mission of connecting students to the arts, and the arts to life. Learn more at wingspanarts.org