Mission & History
Arts on the Horizon was founded as a professional, non-profit theatre company with a specific focus of providing high-quality performances and education programs for an audience of young people ages 0 to 6 years old and their families.
We strive:
- For excellence and innovation in theatre for the very young.
- To produce and present high-quality theatre for young audiences and their families.
- To focus on clear and accessible storytelling.
We believe:
- The arts play an important role in the life of a child, and the results can be seen through the development of their critical thinking skills, self-confidence, and independence.
- In arts education, and our need as a society to develop and foster the creativity of children.
- That a practical, multi-dimensional and active arts experience is just as important as exposure to the arts in the development of a child’s overall education. This includes hands-on activities as well as performances for diverse young audiences and their families.
We aim:
- To be a safe, creative place for families to gather and children to play.
- To develop innovative work for very young children as a leader in the larger Theatre for the Very Young Audiences (TVYA) community
- To partner with schools in Northern Virginia, as well as local businesses and organizations in the DC metro area, in order to expose more young people to theatre.
- To provide arts education programming for young people not only in-front of the curtain, but beyond the curtain and throughout their lives.
- To make our programs inclusive, accessible and affordable to all children.
Arts on the Horizon values intelligent, innovative, and original work for diverse young audiences that is accessible, affordable, inspiring and fun.
Performances:
Arts on the Horizon’s inaugural show, Drumming with Dishes, opened in May 2011 in Alexandria, VA. It has since been performed on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, as part of the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Legacy Project in fall 2011. It was also selected to be a part of the national One Theatre World festival in Cleveland, OH in May 2013. The 2012-13 season was the company's first full season of shows, which included Out of the Box, The Young Spectaculars and the Front Yard Adventure, and Drumming with Dishes: The Holiday Edition, a spin-off of the original production. Arts on the Horizon’s second production, Out of the Box, premiered in March 2012 in Alexandria, VA and then transferred to the Atlas Performing Arts Center for a one-week engagement as part of their Theatre for the Very Young series. The 2013-14 season included two world premiere productions, Under the Canopy which was the company’s first piece geared specifically for children ages 0 – 2 and Sunny and Licorice, the company's fifth world premiere production. The 2014 – 2015 season was Arts on the Horizon’s third full season and included remounts of Under the Canopy and Sunny and Licorice as well as two world premieres, Snow Day and Blossom’s Rainbow. Blossom's Rainbow premiered in March 2015 and was an event of the 2015 National Cherry Blossom Festival. In 2016 the company was honored by the Helen Hayes Awards with a nomination for the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. The current season includes a local tour remount of Point A to Point B, as well as three world-premieres: Adventures with Mr. Bear, Nutt and Bolt, and By the Seashore, the company's eleventh world premiere production for young children. Five new shows are also currently in development for upcoming seasons.
We have the utmost respect for children and want, what may be their first theatrical performance, to entertain them, challenge them, spark creativity and enhance the imaginative play in which many children this age engage. Our performances are designed to take place in an intimate setting where children not only feel comfortable to learn and explore, but are an integral part of the performance.
For more information about our previous productions, please explore our Past Shows section.
Educational Programs:
Our first class was called Stories Come to Life which started in February 2010. We’ve grown leaps and bounds since then. Each education program provides targeted exploration of themes and ideas in order to help children enhance their language development, socialization, and fine and gross motor skills; all within a meaningful, nurturing environment where children can develop their sense of self and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
For more information on how Arts Education impacts a child's development, please explore our Education & Outreach section.
Arts on the Horizon’s inaugural show, Drumming with Dishes, opened in May 2011 in Alexandria, VA. It has since been performed on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, as part of the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Legacy Project in fall 2011. It was also selected to be a part of the national One Theatre World festival in Cleveland, OH in May 2013. The 2012-13 season was the company's first full season of shows, which included Out of the Box, The Young Spectaculars and the Front Yard Adventure, and Drumming with Dishes: The Holiday Edition, a spin-off of the original production. Arts on the Horizon’s second production, Out of the Box, premiered in March 2012 in Alexandria, VA and then transferred to the Atlas Performing Arts Center for a one-week engagement as part of their Theatre for the Very Young series. The 2013-14 season included two world premiere productions, Under the Canopy which was the company’s first piece geared specifically for children ages 0 – 2 and Sunny and Licorice, the company's fifth world premiere production. The 2014 – 2015 season was Arts on the Horizon’s third full season and included remounts of Under the Canopy and Sunny and Licorice as well as two world premieres, Snow Day and Blossom’s Rainbow. Blossom's Rainbow premiered in March 2015 and was an event of the 2015 National Cherry Blossom Festival. In 2016 the company was honored by the Helen Hayes Awards with a nomination for the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. The current season includes a local tour remount of Point A to Point B, as well as three world-premieres: Adventures with Mr. Bear, Nutt and Bolt, and By the Seashore, the company's eleventh world premiere production for young children. Five new shows are also currently in development for upcoming seasons.
We have the utmost respect for children and want, what may be their first theatrical performance, to entertain them, challenge them, spark creativity and enhance the imaginative play in which many children this age engage. Our performances are designed to take place in an intimate setting where children not only feel comfortable to learn and explore, but are an integral part of the performance.
For more information about our previous productions, please explore our Past Shows section.
Educational Programs:
Our first class was called Stories Come to Life which started in February 2010. We’ve grown leaps and bounds since then. Each education program provides targeted exploration of themes and ideas in order to help children enhance their language development, socialization, and fine and gross motor skills; all within a meaningful, nurturing environment where children can develop their sense of self and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
For more information on how Arts Education impacts a child's development, please explore our Education & Outreach section.
