Performing Arts Fort Worth, Inc.

Performing Arts Fort Worth

Performing Arts Fort Worth, Inc. (PAFW) is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that oversees the day-to-day operations and management as well as long-term capital needs of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall complex. Since its founding in 1992, PAFW has paved the way for more than 7 million patrons, including 1.8 million students and educators, to enjoy acclaimed programming in a world-class venue.

The mission of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall is to serve as a permanent home to major performing arts organizations of Fort Worth and as a premier venue for other attractions so as to enhance the range, quality, and accessibility of cultural fare available to the public; to promulgate arts education; and to contribute to the cultural life of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the region.

Children’s Education Program

The mission of the Children’s Education Program (CEP) is to promulgate arts education. Bass Performance Hall is at the center of the program, serving as a dynamic “classroom” and offering a variety of performing arts educational opportunities of superior quality. The CEP is provided FREE OF CHARGE to all students and educators to ensure accessibility for all children, regardless of circumstance. Every student has the advantage of attending live performances, classes, and camps at Bass Hall that for most would not be viable options for them if not for this program.

While the CEP is an integral part of Bass Hall, it maintains its own support independent from PAFW. The CEP is only made possible because of support from events like North Texas Giving Day, as well as from generous foundations, corporations, and individuals just like you, who share our passion and commitment to arts education.

All gifts from North Texas Giving Day will directly support the CEP, which serves annually 65,000 students in grades 1-12 from Fort Worth ISD and surrounding communities. Children come to Bass Hall to experience high-quality, curriculum-related, age-appropriate student performances, master classes and summer music camps. These unique opportunities advance the CEP's vision to reach "every child, every grade, every year" so that when students graduate, they will have been introduced to a variety of live performing arts presentations at Bass Hall to enhance their education and enrich their life experiences.

Since 1998, 1.8 million students and educators have participated in the CEP. This exceptional arts education program benefits children by helping them engage with the curriculum, reduce stress, develop social-emotional and interpersonal skills, bolster academic achievement, and improve focus among other benefits. National Endowment for the Arts studies have found that students with high levels of arts involvement had more positive outcomes in a variety of areas, from high school graduation rates to civic participation.