Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's New Student Volunteer Engagement Program Celebrates First Year with a Special Ceremony

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has announced the success of the new student volunteer engagement program, Beyond The Stage. Designed to expose students to a broader range of careers in the performing arts industry, the program was created to increase student volunteer participation at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's operated and owned venues, festivals, and other events.

The first year of the program culminated in a celebratory ceremony in the Benedum Center multi-purpose room on Friday, May 26. Students in attendance had the opportunity to complete a Q&A with Pittsburgh Cultural Trust President & CEO, Kendra Whitlock Ingram.  
 
Beyond The Stage launched in September 2022 and includes over twenty 10th and 11th grade students from Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 who volunteered for a diverse range of events over the course of the program. Events include the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series held at the Benedum Center, the EQT Children's Theater Festival, the quarterly Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District and the soon to start Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. The students also volunteered at the Byham Theater, Liberty Magic, and at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Galleries located throughout the Cultural District.  

In addition to volunteering, the students have met with employees from several departments at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, participating in Q&A's and career development workshops, and gaining a widened vision of career opportunities available in the arts.  
 
“We at CAPA are beyond thrilled to have had the privilege of allowing our students to participate in the Beyond The Stage program and look forward to doing so in the next academic year,” says Melissa A. Pearlman, Principal, Pittsburgh CAPA. “The knowledge they have received from the multifaceted operations team of a world-class performing arts organization like the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is beyond valuable and will help them prepare for future interviews, applications, auditions, and much more.”  
 
“The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion is in direct correlation with the Beyond The Stage program by making opportunities as accessible as possible to a younger demographic of volunteers,” says Vinay Thomas, Manager of Volunteer Services & Front of House Guest Experience, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “Students who participate in BTS are able to volunteer in dynamic and fast-paced theater and event environments while learning what is required in creating that magical guest experience, we are committed to making every day.” 

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust aims to cultivate and inspire the next generation of leaders by providing students with opportunities to go Beyond The Stage. By completing the Beyond The Stage program, these students have shown a commitment to the Cultural Trust's volunteer mission of cultivating an environment where all feel welcome to enjoy performing, visual, and public art. 
 
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh's most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts-lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country's largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation, and creativity.  Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy, and enhancing Pittsburgh's quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.