Baltimore Center Stage is launching new arts education and civic engagement initiatives, bringing together community members across Baltimore and Maryland to create art, enact change, and collaborate.
“Baltimore is a cultural catalyst on the East Coast, and we are committed to expanding our impact throughout the region,” Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb said in a statement. “These initiatives reflect our belief that theater is not just a mirror to society, but a tool to actively shape a brighter, more just future for our community.”
Last month, Baltimore Center Stage launched the Juvenile Justice Theater Program in partnership with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services to provide art workshops for incarcerated youth. The program aims to address root causes of recidivism and prepare incarcerated individuals to reenter society.
“We believe that art can be a powerful counter-narrative to the ‘get tough on crime’ approach. Through this program, we are planting seeds of transformation for the youth who need it most,” Walker-Webb said.
The theater will also host a free Legislative Forum Festival in spring 2025, where Baltimore residents and elected officials can come together to discuss issues. In its first year, the festival will focus on housing and equitable development.
“Theatre provides an opportunity, unlike any other, to build deep connection across an audience and community,” said Baltimore City Council President-elect Zeke Cohen, a lead supporter of the initiative, in a statement. “It allows us to connect with and give voice to issues that otherwise seem insurmountable.”
Performances at the forum will “amplify local voices, engage activists and audiences, and advocate for social change, making theater a catalyst for community-driven solutions,” according to a news release.
Center Stage is also launching its Lab 410 program for emerging Baltimore-area playwrights. Ninety-nine people applied for the inaugural program, which will connect participants to national theater networks and professional development opportunities.
The Young Playwrights Festival will also celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025. It will be the nation’s oldest free playwriting program of its kind, according to Baltimore Center Stage.
“We are thankful to Center Stage for once again opening up the Young Playwrights program to our students. They will have the opportunity to see their words come alive when professionally produced on the stage,” said Tom Culotta, President of The Community School, one of the festival’s partner schools, in a statement.
BCS’s Shared Space Initiative will mark its third season. As part of the initiative, Center Stage will share its spaces with artists and organizations as they collaborate with partners, including Black Equity, the Black Arts District, Crushing Colonialism, the Baltimore American Indian Center, Native American Lifelines, and John Tyler Sounds (Love Groove Festival).
“Our theater is more than a place for storytelling—it’s a tool for change,” Walker-Webb said. “With the support of our community, these programs will not only entertain but also have a tangible, lasting impact in the lives of Baltimore’s residents.”
The theater is also launching its $1 million Next Act fundraising campaign to support these programs and more.
