Building on its legacy of providing access to the arts for island children, Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) recently announced its intention to offer free tickets for children under the age of 18, throughout the month of April.

Providing accessible educational opportunities for all has always been a goal at VCA.

In addition to its programs in dance, arts education, and music held in its Blue Heron Education Center — all supported by a robust scholarship program — the organization also brings an artist residency program, Vashon Artists in Schools, to classrooms at Chautauqua Elementary, McMurray Middle School and Vashon High School.

But now, another effort is underway — to get more youth in theater seats for VCA’s shows, free of charge.

“Rural communities, by their nature and size, cannot always provide the same cultural access that living in a big city does,” said VCA’s executive director, Allison Halstead Reid. “We want to change that and engage our community families even more.”

VCA already has a longtime practice of having lower ticket prices for youth, as well as its presentation of several free community events year-round, Reid said. But with the pandemic affecting audience capacities, VCA decided to turn empty seats into incentives for youth.

“Why let a seat go empty when a free ticket for youth might offer cultural enrichment and a bigger audience for performing artists?’” Halstead Reid asked. “So last year, VCA made all the lectures in the “Talks on the Rock” series free to youth and began adding classical music concerts as well. July’s “Pianofete” concerts, pianist Asiya Korepanova and other performances saw an increase in youth attendance as a result.”

VCA’s event manager, Crissy Baker, is also excited to make VCA’s programs and events more accessible for everyone.

“We don’t want a child to not experience a show because they can’t afford it,” Baker said. “You never know what one experience will lead to in a child’s formative years and how that might change them.”

VCA board member Jordan Balcom agreed. A mother of two young children, she believes strongly in the benefits of exposing youth to the arts. Walking her talk, she and her family recently helped sponsor the upcoming “Owen & Mzee The Musical,” which will be performed for student assemblies during the day, with an evening show for families.

“Art really can change a child’s life,” Balcom said. “While data-driven information is undoubtedly important in today’s world, the arts play a crucial role in a child’s overall development. The arts have been shown to have a positive impact on children’s cognitive, emotional and social development.”

She also pointed out another way the arts can help children who live in relatively small communities, such as Vashon — providing a gateway to understanding and appreciating different cultures, traditions and perspectives.

Recalling her own vivid childhood memories of watching plays and dance performances with her mother, and the conversations that followed from the shared experiences, Halstead Reid said she hoped that by offering more free youth tickets, entire families will be able to enjoy performances together.

VCA currently partners with Vashon Youth and Family Services by setting aside tickets for the agency to give to low-income families. In addition to families, some island schools are starting to make use of free youth tickets. Recently, The Harbor School students attended VCA’s art history lecture series.

“The kids were so engaged,” Baker said. “And then they stopped to look at the art in the lobby. I watched some stand in front of a piece of art for some time and could see their minds were blown — something happened at that moment.”

After April, islanders can still expect to see many performances that offer free youth tickets. Efforts to underwrite and seek grant funding to support this effort is also underway.

“The arts should never be exclusive or beyond someone’s means,” Halstead Reid said. “Our perennial aim is to be a true community center for the arts, which means we must help engage islanders across all demographics and all ages.”