Ozarks Lyric Opera, Springfield Ballet, Springfield Little Theatre, Moxie Cinema, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Sculpture Walk Springfield, Plotline, Springfield Art Museum, Drury University and Missouri State University—they all play roles in fulfilling the AGC promise to kids in Springfield Public Schools (SPS). And instead of bringing these arts organizations into schools to conduct assemblies, the team behind Springfield’s AGC program gets students to spaces like the Landers Theatre and the Gillioz Center for Arts and Entertainment, where they can experience the artistic program as it was intended.
“For some kids, it’s their only opportunity to have that kind of experience in such a majestic space,” Forrester says. The program is organized by grade level, so by the time children complete 8th grade, they’ve had experiences with various arts agencies. And AGC has revealed some surprising affinities. Forrester says: “Who would have thought that opera was made for the littlest ones? It turns out that opera is so over-the-top that it fits perfectly for that younger age group.”
Making AGC work requires a massive amount of coordination. The arts agencies plan programs that are well suited to AGC, and they work with SPS to create lesson plans that complement the experiences they’ve programmed. Russell leads the efforts to ensure that all the bussing and schedule coordination go smoothly.
The AGC experiences are funded by the arts agencies’ own education programs. If you want to support AGC, you can do so by directly supporting the organizations. Purchasing tickets, attending fundraisers and making donations can all play a role in making AGC happen.