http://www.juniorplayers.org

Junior Players

About Junior Players

Junior Players has provided FREE arts education (including visual, performing, media, and dance) programming to the youth of North Texas since 1955. Delivered in local recreation and cultural centers, low-income housing developments, elementary, middle and high schools, and through social service agencies serving at-risk youth, our goal is to encourage, empower and enable as many children and youth as possible each year.

Our exceptional staff of artists tailor programming to meet the specific needs of children ages 5 to 18. Through before and after school programs and workshops, children are able to explore and learn how to creatively express themselves. In partnership with local agencies, we also produce a number of theater productions which showcase the talent of our participants.
For over 65 years, Junior Players has been empowering young voices by providing free, high quality arts programming to North Texas children and youth.

Too many youth are silenced because of realities outside of their control. Income, language proficiency and school district funding can limit their ability to believe in themselves. Junior Players exists to encourage, empower and enable North Texas children and youth with the skills and abilities to confidently express themselves at home, in school, and in their professional lives.

WHO WE ARE
Junior Players is the oldest, longest running arts programming not for profit in Dallas. Since 1955, we have provided innovative arts education for FREE to children and youth in North Texas and beyond.
Through our programming, youth are transformed.
Our camps and afterschool programs are targeted to arts deserts - those areas that are underfunded and underserved. There, we engage children and youth through the arts, providing them with the tools they need to navigate real life challenges confidently and competently.

MISSION: Empowering Young Voices
The mission of Junior Players is to encourage intellectual growth, mental well-being and the development of life skills in the youth of North Texas through mentoring, creative expression and participation in dramatic and arts activities.

HISTORY
Junior Players was founded in 1955 and is the oldest non-profit children's theater organization in Dallas. Over its sixty-five-year existence, Junior Players has striven to meet the changing needs of the community. From 1955 to 1989, Junior Players presented traditional children's theater productions performed entirely by children and teenagers. In 1989, the Board of Directors changed the focus of Junior Players activities, deciding that Junior Players can best serve the youth of Dallas by providing free programming accessible to all the children of North Texas. Through free, high quality arts education programs in local recreation and cultural centers, housing projects, elementary and middle schools, and through social service agencies serving youth at risk, Junior Players continues to empower young voices.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Junior Players is open and available to all. We are committed to providing safe spaces for child and youth to learn, explore, grow and engage with one other, with freedom from discrimination, harassment or judgement.
We recognize that barriers to services exist for members of diverse communities, particularly for equity-seeking groups, and we are committed to acting as a positive force in eliminating these barriers. To achieve this, Junior Players is committed to:
Ensuring diverse communities have equitable access to our services, resources and decision-making
Remaining non-discriminatory and promoting the goals of anti-racism, access and equity
Taking reasonable steps to ensure our services, programs and decision-making reflect the communities we serve

Reviews

Teaching Artist

June 2018 Dallas, TX
“I loved my experience getting to work with elementary, middle school and early high school students. Many of them had never done any kind of theatre before so it was always super rewarding when a child found a love for performing and were excited to take more classes afterwards.”
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