Asante Art Institute Youth Programs

Asante Art Institute Youth Programs include activities such as acting, singing, dance, storytelling, poetry, writing, physical movement to music, spoken word, content creation, reading, and public speaking. The Asante Children’s Theater (ACT) Academy offers training in acting, singing, and dance, and Prep4Life introduces youth to storytelling, acting, poetry, writing, singing, and physical movement to music. Prep Upper Class focuses on storytelling, spoken word, acting, and content creation, and Zora’s Daughters includes reading, writing, and public speaking.

• Ages: 5–18 years old

Since 1990, the Asante Children’s Theater (ACT) Academy has been a cornerstone of performing arts excellence, impacting thousands of young lives and serving as the foundation of the Asante Art Institute. The mission of Asante Art Institute Youth Programs is to cultivate global citizens through the arts. Asante is one of the city’s oldest creative incubators, with a dedicated focus on youth while also serving all ages, and it is grounded in African and African American traditions and perspectives. Every program is described as strengthening the mental, emotional, and cultural well-being of the youth and families served, with arts-centered experiences that affirm identity, build confidence, and nurture self-worth. Through arts-centered programming that explores cultural and historical themes, the organization states that it guides individuals on journeys of self-discovery, confidence-building, and creative expression, with the belief that creativity fuels problem-solving and can equip participants to confront challenges and create impact in the world around them. The Asante Children’s Theater (ACT) Academy is described as offering world-class training in acting, singing, and dance and as empowering the next generation of artistic leaders to use their voices for social change and community engagement. Prep4Life, Prep Upper Class, and Zora’s Daughters are described as helping youth discover artistic skills, use storytelling and spoken word in practical settings, and build confidence through reading, writing, and public speaking. Asante Art Institute is presenting “A Touch of Glory,” a play chronicling the historic 1955 Crispus Attucks basketball team, and Laura Town’s newly rewritten production “A Touch of Glory” is scheduled to take center stage at the Athenaeum during the final weekend of March and the first weekend of April 2026.

Last updated May 13, 2026.