Support Michigan School Presenters & Speakers

Entertaining and sparking the imagination of school-age audiences since 2005, Midwest School Shows is one of the leading producers of educational-based live entertainment in the United States.  Prior to the pandemic, our artists and entertainers were sharing their talents with thousands of young audience members every week.



ABOUT MIDWEST SCHOOL SHOWS (WHY WE ARE IMPORTANT TO SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN)

This women-owned business started with the idea of teaching students about respect, responsibility, and community, without it being a lecture. This concept developed into the "Super U Challenge ", a live show that features a mixture of interactive skits, comedy theater, and students' chance to participate in game show style challenges. The show goes hand-in-hand with school anti-bullying and character lessons by creating memorable talking points that students can quickly put into action back in the classroom.

The success of "Super U Challenge" led Midwest School Shows to find other ways to teach students about character, science, reading, math, and more.  Today we have built up a roster that includes over 25 unique programs presented by professional musicians, actors, visual artists, animal experts, comedians, and authors who showcase their talents to tens of thousands of students annually.




Every program at Midwest School Shows is a careful blend of entertainment, arts, and an educational focus. We believe that children (and adults too!) learn best when they are having fun and engaged in new and creative ways. We also believe that the experience of being a part of an audience for a live show is valuable to every child. Many times, we are providing students with their first exposure to a professional performance.

Midwest School Shows works closely with schools to develop programs that align with curriculum and needs. We pride ourselves on producing consistently high-quality programs and making them equally accessible to schools in urban, rural, and suburban school districts. By bringing the programs directly to schools, we can provide educational enrichment for a fraction of the cost of what a school would be paying for an off-site field trip to a theater or science center.

By 2019, Midwest School Shows' programs were visiting over 300 schools a year. Although our focus has been on servicing schools in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois

WHY WE ARE ESSENTIAL TO ARTISTS AND ENTERTAINERS

In the best of times, a career in the arts and humanities can be difficult. Prior to the pandemic, Midwest School Shows had given many artists, musicians and entertainers an avenue for pursuing a full-time career in their creative field.  We provide a rare opportunity for people to share their talents with thousands of young audience members weekly, and the freedom to grow as an artist. 

The stable and dependable work we are normally able to provide entertainers is something that is truly unique and creates an essential resource for the creative community.


WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE EDUCATIONAL ARTS PRESENTATIONS IN SCHOOLS

Unfortunately, in 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic spread, it hit the performing arts community particularly hard. At the start of March 2020, Midwest School Shows had over 200 shows scheduled through the end of the year, and by mid-April, all but a small handful had canceled.

Even as venues, small events, and theaters begin to open up slowly, schools have, understandably, yet to be able to allow students to gather for performances. As we approach the end of 2020 and talk with clients about 2021, it has become clear the the earliest we will can expect to go back into schools will be March 2021 or later.

To help diversify our business through the pandemic, we have opened an online store and offered virtual programs, but these have only brought in about 5% of our typical monthly revenue.

We are committed to doing everything we can to see through this pandemic and continue to operate as a valuable community resource for schools and the talented people who have come to rely on the work we provide.

The reality is, no business can operate very long on just 5% of their normal monthly revenue. At this point, we are fighting to scrape together every dollar we can to cover expenses and provide support to our artists where we can.  Therefore, we humbly ask for your assistance to help ensure that when schools are ready, we will be able to provide their students with presentations that principals and teachers have called "captivating,” "inspiring," and "the best program in years."

We know that this continues to be a challenging and uncertain time for everyone, and we are mindful that there are countless individuals and organizations in need. We are not making the decision to seek community support hastily.

Any donation to the campaign will contribute to the cash resources needed to cover necessary business expenses to continue basic operations and allow us to  and provide needed financial support to our artists until live performances can return to schools.