Wolf Trap Foundation For The Performing Arts

TO PRESENT AND CREATE EXCELLENT AND INNOVATIVE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS.

PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AT THE FILENE CENTER AND THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP: ON MARCH 13, 2020, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS DECLARED A NATIONAL EMERGENCY IN THE UNITED STATES. ON MARCH 13, 2020, THE GOVERNORS OF MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA AND THE MAYOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ORDERED ALL NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS CLOSED, FOLLOWED BY SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS ON MARCH 30, 2020. THESE PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES CAUSED A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND WOLF TRAP LOST ITS ENTIRE 2020 SUMMER SEASON, WHICH REPRESENTS 90% OF ITS EARNED REVENUE IN A GIVEN YEAR. IN 2021, RESTRICTIONS LOOSENED SLIGHTLY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COVERED PERIOD RESTRICTIONS ONLY ALLOWED FOR A MAXIMUM OF 1,000 PEOPLE, REVISED UP FROM A PRIOR MAXIMUM OF 250. ALTHOUGH WOLF TRAP WAS PERMITTED TO HOLD PERFORMANCES FOR AN AUDIENCE OF 1,000, THE MAIN VENUE, THE FILENE CENTER, CAN HOLD 7,000 PEOPLE. THE FILENE CENTER VENUE IS LOCATED ON FEDERAL PROPERTY AND WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PARTNER IN PROVIDING CONCERT AND PERFORMANCE PROGRAMMING WITHIN THE PARK. THEREFORE, WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION MUST COMPLY FULLY WITH FEDERAL GUIDELINES AND DIRECTION. WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL PARK STAFF HAD EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR A SAFE PERFORMANCE SEASON CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL AND STATE GUIDELINES. ON MAY 14, 2021, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS, RELEASED A MEMO, WHICH REQUIRED 25% OF NORMAL OCCUPANCY OR A 6-FOOT PHYSICAL DISTANCING STANDARD DURING HIGH COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION IN THE COUNTY, IN WHICH THE PARK IS LOCATED. AT THIS TIME, FAIRFAX COUNTY WAS CONSIDERED A HIGH COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LOCATION. THE FILENE CENTER WAS ONLY ABLE TO HAVE 21 PERFORMANCES IN JUNE AND JULY WHERE THE AUDIENCE SIZES WERE LIMITED TO A 1,000 AND THE PERFORMANCE TIMES WERE SHORTER THAN USUAL. THE FOUNDATION ALSO HAD TO ENHANCE RESTROOM CLEANING AND PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING TO PATRONS. THE BARNS VENUE LOST ITS WINTER/SPRING SEASON, BUT IN SEPTEMBER REOPENED FOR ITS 40TH SEASON. THE FALL SEASON CONSISTED OF TWENTY-SIX PERFORMANCES AND INCLUDED MANY ARTIST DEBUTS.

EDUCATION: EACH YEAR, WOLF TRAP EDUCATION DELIVERS HIGH QUALITY ARTS-LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO OVER 91,000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS, LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, AND INTERNATIONALLY. IN ADDITION, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND EDUCATION-RELATED DIGITAL CONTENT (EMPHASIZED IN 2021 DUE TO COVID), WOLF TRAP EDUCATION ACHIEVED OVER 367,000 AND 90,000 IMPRESSIONS, RESPECTIVELY. AT THE HEART OF WOLF TRAP'S EDUCATION OUTREACH FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, THE WOLF TRAP INSTITUTE FOR EARLY LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS (INSTITUTE) IS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS A MODEL FOR INCORPORATING THE PERFORMING ARTS INTO EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULA. CONDUCTING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION THROUGH ARTS INTEGRATION IN 30 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, INCLUDING 23 WOLF TRAP INSTITUTE AFFILIATE SITES ACROSS THE US AND IN SINGAPORE, THE INSTITUTE PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES TO CHILDREN BIRTH THROUGH 6 YEARS OF AGE AND MULTIPLIES ITS IMPACT THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND CAREGIVERS. THE INSTITUTE SEEKS TO ADDRESS TWO PRIMARY CONCERNS: (1) THE SCHOOL READINESS OF CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED CIRCUMSTANCES; AND (2) ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS WHO WORK WITH THESE CHILDREN. BY INTEGRATING PERFORMING ARTS STRATEGIES INTO EARLY CHILDHOOD STANDARDS-BASED INSTRUCTION, THE INSTITUTE ENHANCES CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS LITERACY, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021, WOLF TRAP EDUCATION SERVED 6,151 CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND OTHER CAREGIVERS THROUGH WOLF TRAP CHILDREN'S THEATRE-IN-THE-WOODS (CTITW). BUILDING ON FOUR DECADES AS A BELOVED COMMUNITY INSTITUTION, THIS PROGRAM COMPRISES SEVEN WEEKS OF PERFORMANCES WITH NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, ACTORS, AND DANCERS AT AN OUTDOOR VENUE SITUATED IN THE WOODS NEAR THE FILENE CENTER AT WOLF TRAP NATIONAL PARK FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. THIS UNIQUE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY VENUE OFFERS THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR LIVELY ADVENTURES IN MUSIC, DANCE, THEATER, AND PUPPETRY. WOLF TRAP'S FIELD TRIP FRIDAYS RETURNED THIS YEAR AS A VIRTUAL ALTERNATIVE FOR IN-PERSON FIELD TRIPS. NEW THIS YEAR, WOLF TRAP OFFERED EDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND CAREGIVERS A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK TO HELP THEM PRODUCE THEIR OWN VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR AT-HOME LEARNING. SEVEN VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 5,114 PAGE VIEWS. WOLF TRAP EDUCATION ALSO MANAGES THE ORGANIZATION'S INTERNSHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PROGRAM CONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG THE NATION'S BEST. EACH YEAR APPROXIMATELY 50 FULL- AND PART-TIME INTERNSHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS PROVIDE STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES WITH INVALUABLE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND CONNECTIONS IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL SIDE OF THE ARTS. VALUING A COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND THE POWER OF THE ARTS TO CHANGE SOCIETY, WOLF TRAP BROADENS ACCESS AND ENTRY INTO THE ARTS MANAGEMENT PROFESSION BY OFFERING MULTICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DIVERSITY INITIATIVES AS A PART OF THE INTERNSHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. DUE TO COVID, THE INTERNSHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM COULD NOT BE HELD IN 2021. HOWEVER, THE FOUNDATION BEGAN WELCOMING INTERNS AND APPRENTICES AGAIN IN 2022. WOLF TRAP EDUCATION ANNUALLY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AWARDS THE WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SEVEN OUTSTANDING PERFORMING ARTS TEACHERS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE DC/MD/VA METRO AREA THROUGH GRANTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS TEACHERS.

OPERA: WOLF TRAP OPERA (WTO), CREATED IN 1971, IS A HIGHLY REGARDED RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR OPERA SINGERS. IT OFFERS EMERGING ARTISTS ONE OF THE BEST TRAINING AND PERFORMING EXPERIENCES IN THE NATION. OUR PRIMARY TIER OF FILENE YOUNG ARTISTS HAVE COMPLETED ADVANCED DEGREES AND ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED SINGERS ON THE VERGE OF PROFESSIONAL CAREERS; STUDIO ARTISTS ARE TALENTED STUDENT SINGERS CONSIDERING A CAREER IN THE FIELD. ALUMNI HAVE GONE ON TO CAREERS PERFORMING WITH SOME OF THE LEADING OPERA COMPANIES IN THE WORLD. WTO PROVIDES BOTH CAREER GUIDANCE AND A CHANCE TO POLISH SKILLS NEEDED TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NATION'S MOST TALENTED YOUNG PERFORMERS TO EXPERIENCE THE DEMANDS OF A PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. HIGHLY ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCES ARE HELD AT BOTH THE FILENE CENTER AND THE BARNS. IN FALL 2020, WOLF TRAP OPERA REINVITED THE 17 FILENE ARTISTS (REPRESENTING 12 STATES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES) AND 14 STUDIO ARTISTS WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE COMPANY IN 2020, IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM A MORE ROBUST PERFORMING EXPERIENCE. WTO PRODUCED 3 SEMI-STAGED PRODUCTIONS ON THE FILENE CENTER STAGE - INCLUDING A REVIVED BAROQUE OPERA BY A COMPOSER OF COLOR, A MUSICAL THEATER BLOCKBUSTER, AND A LIMINAL DOUBLE BILL - AND WORKED WITH BOTH THE WOLF TRAP ORCHESTRA AND THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY. PERFORMANCES WERE ALSO STREAMED FOR THOSE PATRONS WHO WERE UNCOMFORTABLE RETURNING TO THE THEATER.