ArtsVibe Teen Program Announces Inaugural Teen Council; Holiday Party Set for Today

The Wells Fargo ArtsVibe Teen Program - a new initiative to engage metropolitan Atlanta teenagers as active participants in the arts - has announced the inaugural ArtsVibe Teen Council. Forty-nine teens throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area were selected to participate, and the students will work closely with arts administrators from the ALLIANCE THEATRE, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art, and Young Audiences to help program and promote ArtsVibe events to their fellow peers in the Atlanta community.

The first event implemented by Teen Council will be a holiday party today, December, 21, 2012, at 6:00 p.m., in the 1280 Gallery at the Woodruff Arts Center. The Teen Council will also be heavily involved in the ArtsVibe's "Voices & Vibe" festival in April 2013, as well as promoting and programming additional teen events at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Students were selected based on online applications and in-person interviews, and will each serve a one-year term. The Teen Council will meet twice per month and will be divided into the following subcommittees: talent scouts, marketing and design, event planning, advocacy, publications, and community service.

Launched in August 2012, the Wells Fargo ArtsVibe Teen Program is a new initiative to engage metropolitan Atlanta teenagers as active participants in the arts, made possible through a $2 million donation to the Woodruff Arts Center from Wells Fargo. The ArtsVibe program is a collaborative effort between all of the divisions of the Woodruff Arts Center: the ALLIANCE THEATRE, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art, and Young Audiences.

The program, which is designed to meet the needs of arts-oriented teens as well as those who are less familiar with the arts, will offer a combination of paid and free events for students in grades 6-12. ArtsVibe is expected to reach more than 10,000 teens in its inaugural year and to establish the Woodruff Arts Center as a premier destination for metropolitan Atlanta teens.

Programs and events will offer focused and multidimensional exploration of the arts for teens, and will include designated "Teen Nights" on campus, music lessons, poetry slams, acting classes, behind-the- scenes access to rehearsals and productions, and performances by teens for teens via the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and ALLIANCE THEATRE students, among other activities. Discounted tickets to select Woodruff Arts Center events and reduced MARTA and parking rates will also be offered to students.

For more information about ArtsVibe, visit www.artsvibe.com.

Founded in 1968, the ALLIANCE THEATRE is the largest regional producing theatre in the Southeast, creating the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people on two stages for youth and adult audiences. Under the leadership of Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director, the ALLIANCE THEATRE received the Regional Theatre Tony Award in recognition for sustained excellence in programming, education and community engagement. Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has launched three Tony Award- winning hits to Broadway: Alice Walker's "The Color Purple," Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida" and Alfred Uhry's "The Last Night of Ballyhoo." The theatre has premiered more than 60 works including adaptations of Carson McCullers' "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," Pearl Cleage's "Blues for an Alabama Sky," and Stephen King and John Mellencamp's musical "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County." Further evidence of the Alliance's commitment to new work and education is found in its nationally recognized Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, a cutting-edge program introducing student playwrights to professional networks while producing the world premiere of the winning student's play. The ALLIANCE THEATRE also offers extensive education and outreach programs such as the Institute for Educators and the Collision Project for high school students. The Alliance continuously brings Atlanta the finest talent and finest art-above all else, the Alliance values excellence, pursued with integrity and creativity, and achieved through collaboration. For more information, visit alliancetheatre.org.