A coalition of Seattle nonprofits focused on expanding arts exposure and participation amongst young people will receive nearly $7 million from Allen Family Philanthropies to support programmes designed to develop emerging talent, increase access to cultural experiences, and reimagine how youth engage with arts institutions on the Seattle Center campus.
The funding, totalling $6,868,990 distributed over three years to eight organisations, represents a strategic investment in youth-focused arts programming at one of the Pacific Northwest’s most significant cultural destinations, which attracts more than 12 million visitors annually.
Allen Family Philanthropies (formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation) is a charitable entity established by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and his sister, Jody Allen, in 1988. The philanthropy directs resources toward multiple focus areas including arts and culture, science and technology, and research across all areas of bioscience, maintaining the philanthropic vision Paul Allen developed during his lifetime whilst adapting to emerging community needs.
The grants announced Wednesday are specifically aimed at projects intended to create opportunities for diverse creators who have historically faced barriers to arts careers, increase access to arts programming and engagement particularly for underserved youth populations, and reimagine physical and programmatic spaces to be more welcoming and relevant to young audiences.
The eight recipient organisations and their funded initiatives demonstrate the breadth of arts disciplines being supported and the variety of approaches being taken to engage young people:
KEXP, Seattle’s influential independent radio station, will receive $879,700 to support emerging artists and cultural workers whilst enhancing audience diversity through extended programmes for youth and their families. The funding will expand youth DJ programmes that teach radio production and on-air skills, increase all-ages concerts and events that provide performance opportunities for young musicians, broaden youth outreach and programming engagement in schools and community centres, and activate the KEXP Gathering Space and courtyard with live music events and cultural programming designed to attract diverse young audiences.
Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will receive $696,176 to develop a residency programme expanding free youth access to interactive, culturally relevant learning experiences. The residency model will bring artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other cultural practitioners into sustained engagement with youth participants, providing mentorship and skill development that extends beyond one-time workshops to create deeper learning relationships.
National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) will receive $480,882 to scale and grow festival programming beyond its annual event into year-round, accessible opportunities for film education, mentorship, and professional development for aspiring youth filmmakers at Seattle Center. This expansion addresses the challenge that festival-based organisations face in maintaining engagement and providing sustained learning opportunities when their signature events occur only once annually.
Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) will receive $1,250,000, the largest single grant in the portfolio, to unify PNB’s emerging artist efforts into a singular choreographic dance programme with enhanced technical training and increased performance opportunities. The initiative will increase engagement for young artists aged 10-26, a critical developmental period for dancers, and expand the Community Stages programme that brings ballet performances and education into neighbourhoods throughout the region.
Pacific Science Center (PacSci) will receive $997,632 to connect arts and culture with science through a distinctive approach that reimagines spaces with public artwork and cultural installations commissioned by Pacific Northwest Indigenous artists and culture bearers. A new artist-in-residence programme within the Maker & Innovation Lab will bring Indigenous perspectives into the science centre environment, creating opportunities for youth to experience the integration of traditional knowledge systems with contemporary scientific exploration.
Seattle Repertory Theatre and Seattle Children’s Theatre will receive $1,320,000 to expand their theatrical partnership model through a multi-year initiative co-producing one main stage show each season specifically aimed at teens and their families. This collaboration addresses a gap in age-appropriate theatre programming, as many productions target either young children or adults, leaving teenagers with limited options that speak to their experiences and interests.
TeenTix will receive $250,000 to support a new Teen Connectors programme developed in partnership with Seattle Center arts venues to increase access and engagement of teen audiences in arts and culture experiences. TeenTix has successfully operated a ticket subsidy programme allowing teens to attend performances for minimal cost, and this funding will enable deeper engagement including behind-the-scenes experiences, youth advisory roles, and peer-to-peer arts advocacy.
The Vera Project (Vera) will receive $994,600 to launch All Ages / All Access, a new slate of all-ages music and arts programming centred on concerts, gallery openings, and creative workforce development opportunities created by and for young people. Vera has long operated as a youth-driven arts organisation, and this funding will expand its capacity to provide more frequent programming and broader workforce development support for young people pursuing creative careers.
