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Hey TeenTixers!

We hope you’re staying safe and healthy during this uncertain time. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing measures put in place to protect public health, this is an unprecedented moment in history. We know that you may be spending a lot more time at home, and the arts are a great way to keep you grounded, and lift your spirits when times get tough. So we would love to hear how art is sustaining you right now. Whether you’re letting the creative juices flow and diving into your own art-making practice, reminiscing about a recent arts experience, or binge-ing On the Boards.TV, we want to hear from YOU. Young people are an integral part of the arts community, and by showcasing teen art and experiences we hope to show just how resilient the arts world is.

Hey TeenTixers!We hope this message finds you in good health. As you may know, Governor Jay Inslee has imposed a statewide prohibition effective 3/16/2020, on public gatherings and events of more than 50 people, out of concern over the spread of COVID-19. (Click here to read more on this).

This has directly affected the majority of our Arts Partners, cancelling many events and postponing others.

Read more below, and click this link to contribute!

Art has always been a way to build community, to connect people and ideas across all intersections of age and beliefs. TeenTix’s role is to help young people play a key part in the development of our arts community by helping them build connections through arts access right now. During these times of social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the arts community is looking for new and creative solutions to sharing art, and young people like those on The New Guard are a huge part of the answer.The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society is an arts leadership training program that is the heart and soul of TeenTix, keeping us accountable to the teens we serve. New Guardians play a central role in guiding the development of TeenTix programs and events, identify organizational values and serve as the primary teen ambassadors for TeenTix while learning about all aspects of arts administration and leadership. What better real-world experience is there right now than working alongside professionals in our community to figure out how to shift strategies around upcoming events, continue fundraising during a crisis, and imagine new ways of exploring art and bonding with their peers?

TeenTix is proud to announce the 2019/2020 Teen Editorial Staff. This year's Teen Editorial Staff (TEDS) is comprised of six teens: Anya Shukla, Joshua Fernandes, Kendall Kieras, Lily Williamson, Olivia Sun, and Tova Gaster. The TEDS are the leaders of the TeenTix Newsroom, and work to curate reviews and arts coverage for the TeenTix blog. Teen Editorial Staff members decide which TeenTix Arts Partners' events to cover each month, write an editorial about their curatorial choices, and assign Newsroom writers to review each event. TEDS members interface with TeenTix Arts Partners to set up press tickets for each review, and edit all Newsroom writing before it is published on the TeenTix blog. The Teen Editorial Staff is a group of skilled writers, editors, and leaders, who keep the pulse of the TeenTix Press Corps and the Seattle arts scene.

Statement from the Teen Editorial Staff: “The goal of the Teen Editorial Staff is to promote our local Arts Partners while amplifying the perspectives of the next generation of arts patrons. The TeenTix Newsroom fosters arts journalism by teens, for teens. We are dedicated to elevating youth voices and encouraging them to think critically about the arts and media they consume.”

Hey TeenTix-ers: Scholarships are now available for Singing the Gospel, a masterclass from our friends at The 5th Avenue Theatre!

This energetic and uplifting vocal master class will explore the history and influence of gospel music in musical theater. In this two-part course, students will work with Seattle-based singer and actress, Shaunyce Omar, to examine how gospel music has influenced both musical theater and pop music; learn the power of ensemble singing; and discover how to adapt their own personal style to gospel singing. Join in for this fun and engaging class and get singing!

We are beyond EXCITED to share the nominees of the 2019 TEENY AWARDS!

TEEN CHOICE AWARDSTeens in each of the following groups has the ability to nominate their favorite event from the year PRESS CORPS PICKNEW GUARD PICK

Join Seattle Men's Chorus for a summer matinee full of song and activism with this special offer!

TeenTix members can RSVP right now to claim up to 4 FREE tickets for themselves and other folks of any age using this form. Then, attend the show on June 22nd at 2 PM to get your retro tunes on!

Our generous friends at the Museum of Pop Culture (aka MoPOP) are offering a super discount for Mic Drop: Comedy Camp this July!

Mic Drop is a two-week long summer camp for high schoolers. Working with three local professional comedians, campers will learn the basics of improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up. In the second week of camp, they’ll prepare for a final showcase at Unexpected Productions Market Theater (another TeenTix Partner!) Campers will also learn about the business of comedy and how to navigate the professional side of being a comedian. The goal is to cultivate a safe environment where campers feel like they can take risks, count on each other, and have an awesome two weeks. MoPOP ultimately wants to help shape the local comedy landscape to be one where marginalized voices are amplified and lifted up.

Each year we look forward to sharing the amazing stories of our GiveBIG SUPERSTARS with our TeenTix community. This year, we’ve added a “magic” word to this title to reflect the extra special nature of this group of devoted arts access champions who have transformed TeenTix with their consistent support. So without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to our first TeenTix GiveBIG SUPERSTAR SORCERER Betsey Brock! Betsey is one of just nine people in the whole world who has donated to TeenTix during GiveBIG every year since 2013!

Betsey has been a TeenTix fan from the beginning; she first got to know our programs through her good friend Holly Arsenault, the first Executive Director of TeenTix! At the time, Betsey was working at TeenTix Partner Henry Art Gallery, and her husband (curator and former art critic Eric Fredericksen) was asked to work with the TeenTix Press Corps, so the whole family soon got to see TeenTix’s programs in action... Not long after, her son turned 13 and signed up for his own TeenTix Pass. Today, as Executive Director of TeenTix Partner On the Boards, Betsey regularly works with TeenTix to foster an intelligent and engaged audience of young people.

The Theater & Dance Press Corps Intensive was a four-week arts-going and criticism practice workshop that ran March-April, 2019. Throughout the four weeks, a group of ten teens learned how to approach theater and dance criticism and practiced these skills by reviewing two plays and two dance performances at different TeenTix Arts Partners. The group met each week to discuss the art they saw and various issues within the field of arts criticism.

The group was mentored by two professional critics, Becs Richards and Melody Datz Hansen, who helped each teen hone their arts writing skills. Stay tuned on the blog for reviews of each event!

You may have noticed that TeenTix has a brand new look!

With the help of some amazing supporters, a fantastic tech team, and a whole lotta love, we've just updated our website with a TON of new spiffy facets, including easier access to all the arts-going information you love.

TeenTix hosted our first ever Beyond the Review Press Corps Intensive April 8-12 at the Downtown School. This was a 5-day Intensive workshop where a group of ten teens spent the mornings learning about arts journalism, and the afternoons applying their new skills. Teens received one-on-one mentorship from professional arts journalists and were able to edit and finalize an article for publication on the TeenTix blog.

Over the course of the week, the group went behind the scenes at several TeenTix Arts and Community Partners. They observed a rehearsal at Pacific Northwest Ballet, interviewed musicians at The Vera Project, and chatted with the leadership team of the Intiman Theatre as well as several participants in the Intiman's STARFISH PROJECT. The teens had the opportunity to write previews, interviews, and feature articles based on their experiences. Stay tuned on the blog to read the articles written during the Intensive!

Join Seattle Men's Chorus for a complimentary evening of sparkle, sequins and song as they celebrate one of the world's most infamous pop icons of all time: Cher!

You and up to four other folks are invited to see this performance for FREE with your TeenTix Pass on March 30. All you've gotta do is sign up below with the requested information to claim your FREE tickets to this event! Visit this link to directly fill out the form, or scroll down this page to enter your info.

Over the last 15 years, TeenTix has devoted itself to radically empowering youth to take charge of their arts experiences, and every year we've grown our capacity to serve our constituents. There are big changes on the horizon for this lil' nonprofit, and YOU can be a part of our expansion!

TeenTix is now accepting applications for two paid internships. Read more below to see if one of them is a good fit for you!

Each year, The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society invites representatives from our Arts Partners to come scope out what its constituents are most interested in, what makes them attend events, and how to get more teens through their doors. This year's meeting took place on January 23, 2019.

In a large, round-table discussion that started off the meeting, we discussed topics like social media use, trigger warnings, promotional ideas, and more - and everyone came away knowing more about our arts community! Then, we broke off into small groups so each Arts Partner could get a more personal look into the minds of youth in the Pacific Northwest. Lots of our Partners took this time to ask about specific programming they have coming up to get a better idea of how to invite teens into their space and create art that young people want to see.

Every year, MoPOP hosts Seattle's premier 21-and-under music showcase and competition called Sound Off! This local showcase supports the local music scene by giving artists of all backgrounds the opportunity to show off their original music on a large platform, connect with peers and industry professionals, and take the next step in their music careers.

This year, TeenTix Members can enter to win a pair of two tickets to one of the three semifinals! Just fill out this form to enter, and see the lineup here! We'll announce the winners of the raffle on February 1, 2019.

It's time for a fresh start, dontcha think? Try something new this year with these classes, workshops, and more from our partners. There are plenty of ways for teens to get involved in the arts this season!

DANCE

The Press Corps Intensive is a deep-dive workshop into arts writing and arts criticism. In this multi-week course, ten teens will get to work with professional critics and arts journalists to receive mentorship on their writing. And the best part, this program is FREE!

Applications for the Theater & Dance Press Corps Intensive are now open! This Intensive runs March 10 - April 14, 2019. This FREE four-week program focuses specifically on dance and theater criticism. In this program, 10 participants will attend two dance productions and two theater productions at TeenTix Arts Partners. Teens will be mentored by professional theater and dance critics who will help each participant hone their arts criticism and arts interpretation skills. APPLY NOW! HOW IT WORKS

Ho, ho, ho! Suit up in your most festive wear and help spread the spirit of the season this weekend at Northwest African American Museum when you volunteer for Black Santa Visits!

There are two ways to donate your time: Photo Elves assist with posing families for photos, collect media releases and contact info, offer support to the photographer, and help share information to guests for purchasing prints for photos. Santa's Village Elves help waiting families with arts and crafts, keeping the room tidy and art supplies plentiful while waiting for pictures with the Big Guy!

In the mood for some holiday cheer? Our friends at Seattle Men's Chorus are offering THREE HUNDRED complimentary tickets to TeenTix Members for their concert, Jingle All The Way, on December 20th!

All you've gotta do is sign up below with the requested information to claim your FREE tickets to this event. Don't want to fill it out on our blog? Visit this link to directly fill out the form.