Since 1997 BTAPC has become more and more committed to its outreach program. This program has become the backbone of what we are trying to do here in this rural area. With the co-operation of the public and private schools, politicians and educators, we have established the following programs:

Adopt-A-Child for the Arts
A scholarship program where the children are bussed in by the school system to our facility for classes in the arts.

In school classes
We send a teacher into the schools to teach performing arts classes

Youth Performances
BTAPC produces shows especially arranged for young people. An example of this is the Broadway Jr. series which is extremely popular in this area. In these musicals all parts are portrayed by young people.

Touring
BTAPC takes productions to schools or other areas and also invited students to productions during the school day. In most cases this is the only way a local child would ever get to see a live show.

Speaking and guest artists engagements
Our directors go into schools and other areas and speak to children, educators and clubs. We also take our visiting guest artists into schools for the children to enjoy.

Summer Workshops
The Summer Workshop is a six week summer program which takes place in our facility in Gilbertown and also two public schools in Choctaw County. These classes are open to kindergarten through 8th grade students.

The Workshops that are held in the public schools are under the umbrella “Summer Enrichment Program” with the Choctaw County Learning Center as it’s head. BTAPC is responsible for providing all the classes in the performing arts, but the children are also involved in academic classes. These workshops are free and open to all students, be they public or private school students. The classes take place in Choctaw County but they are open to children from all the surrounding counties. We have students from as far away as Detroit, Michigan. The workshops help reach our Afro-American students and students who are living in the furthest outreaches of our area.

With all these programs, the BTAPC is reaching many underprivileged children in this rural area where the average income is around $11,000 a year. These programs and each production the BTAPC present are making more people aware of the importance of the arts in their lives. There are students in several major colleges who have gotten their love for the performing arts here at BTAPC and gone on to further their education in this field. When you see the faces of these children attending their first ballet class or working on a scene from a play you know the real value of the arts. These are the programs that will steer our youth away from drugs and alcohol and into a productive and happy life.