The Santa Barbara Bowl, a large outdoor music venue, strives to make the arts accessible to the larger community through a number of education outreach initiatives. Believing that the arts are a fundamental part of the human experience, the founders of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation made education a core part of its mission statement. Each year, the foundation funds programs that reach approximately 20,000 students through nonprofit arts programs, individual artists, and local schools. One of these programs is the annual symposium, which allows educators, artists,, and nonprofit leaders to meet with students and members of the community and discuss the state of arts education in Santa Barbara. This important initiative provides insight and direction for creating better, more focused programs in the future.
Other education outreach projects include a drive to collect instruments for students in need, grants to local programs that wish to make use of resources at the Santa Barbara Bowl, and scholarships for college students studying the performing arts. In addition, the foundation supports a children’s program at Cottage Hospital and various in-school and after-school programs, particularly in neighborhoods most affected by the concert season at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Other initiatives include Notes for Notes, which connects students to free instruments and music lessons. A large volunteer committee facilitates these education outreach projects.
This summer, the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation will support Girls Rock Santa Barbara. Believing that music is a means to empower young girls, this organization creates a supportive environment that fosters the development of self-confidence and creativity. During the program, girls take music lessons, engage in workshops, and give performances. The program encourages girls to challenge typical gender stereotypes, collaborate with each other, and practice tolerance. As such, Girls Rock Santa Barbara embodies the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation’s emphasis on making music and the arts accessible to all.