Taking Our Final Bow
After 25 Impactful Years

After deep consideration, the Board of Directors has made the decision to bring Opening Act’s work to a close following the 2025/2026 school year. This is not the outcome any of us hoped for. It reflects the increasingly challenging funding environment for arts education and our responsibility to conclude 25 years of programming with care, transparency, and deep respect for the students, schools, funders, and staff who have shaped our work. 

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With our students in mind, we are heartened to be working with multiple NYC Arts Education organizations to ensure that core elements of Opening Act’s mission and programming continue beyond our closure. These collaborations reflect our commitment to preserving as much of the spirit and impact of Opening Act’s work as possible, while creating new opportunities for young people to access transformative arts experiences.

 

We extend our deepest thanks to you and to the many individuals and institutions who have sustained this work, to the schools and community partners who welcomed us in, and to the dedicated staff, teaching artists, board members, and volunteers who built, strengthened, and delivered our programs over the past 25 years. 

 

Most of all, we honor the thousands of Opening Act students and alumni who have shown us, again and again, what becomes possible when young people are invited to express their ideas and given a platform on which to share them. Their confidence, creativity, courage, and sense of community have exceeded every expectation.

 

We remain steadfast in our belief that arts education is an essential public good, one that nurtures voice, belonging, and the creative capacities young people need to thrive in school, in work, and in civic life.

 

Opening Act’s greatest legacy is not only the programs we created, but the community and creativity that will continue through the young people, artists, educators, and partners who have been part of this work. We look forward to seeing that legacy flourish for years to come. 

As we move through this transition, we remain available to our community and welcome any questions you may have. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at oa25@openingact.org.

 

With deepest gratitude,

The Board and Staff of Opening Act