The New Jersey Performing Arts Center received an $80,000 grant from the Devils Youth Foundation to help establish a new arts education program, Backstage Pathways.
The program, working in partnership with Prudential Center’s RECORD HIGH, will train young artists for careers in technical theater and live concert production.
Backstage Pathways will teach lighting and sound technology, set construction, stage logistics, video recording and more through hands-on learning and masterclasses with members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. IATSE is the union that represents professional stagehands working in live theater, motion picture and television production, trade shows and exhibitions, television broadcasting and live concert production.
The students of the new program also gain practical experience by managing production for the end-of-the-semester performances by Arts Education students. In addition, Backstage Pathways students are eligible to take the BACKstage exam (Basic and Comprehensive Knowledge Exam for High School Technical Theatre Students) and the fee will be subsidized by NJPAC. This exam, developed by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), helps determine student readiness for post-secondary learning in technical theater.
Backstage Pathways is a collaboration between NJPAC and RECORD HIGH, a program that provides educational tools and career resources for youth interested in careers in the music and entertainment industry.
NJPAC CEO John Schreiber said the program illustrates the true economic development impact of the arts.
“There are dozens of ways to build a career in the performing arts, and educating young people about all those options couldn’t be more important,” he said. “NJPAC is excited to partner with the Devils Youth Foundation and RECORD HIGH to offer young people in Greater Newark that inside track through this in-depth introduction to all the fulfilling and creative work that can be done backstage and behind the scenes.”
Kate Whitman Annis, executive director of the Devils Youth Foundation, said the program matches the vision and the mission of the foundation.
“As one of our pillars, we are committed to providing access to the arts for New Jersey’s youth and look to empower the next generation of young artists with this program,” she said. “With the help of NJPAC and RECORD HIGH, students will receive a unique opportunity to explore theatrical production and gain an invaluable experience.”