Arts-in-education outreach is the foundation upon which One World has been built. Begun in 1993 by Hartt Stearns and Iluminada, KidsReach espouses the philosophy that the more we learn about cultures dissimilar from our own, the greater the likelihood of understanding and opening our minds and hearts to them.

KidsReach was inspired by Hartt's own participation as a performing artist with Music Center on Tour (MCOT), the largest multi-cultural arts-in-education outreach of its kind and based in the Los Angeles Music Center. Upon landing in Austin, Hartt and Iluminada saw a need for a similar program and One World was born.

It is our belief that, through the rhythms of music, song, dance and story telling - some of the most illuminating and engaging forms of communication - we can develop an awareness of the history and traditions of people with whom we share this world - one world.

One World believes that multi-cultural arts programming for children of all ages is critical to their education – encouraging a greater understanding for people and cultures unlike their own. That's why we provide a diversity of children's programming both in the schools and on the One World Theatre stage.

KidsReach
Over the past 10 years, our arts-in-education outreach program, KidsReach, has worked with almost _ million students in grades K – 12. KidsReach is comprised of an extraordinary group of professionals from a variety of disciplines who travel to Austin area schools to enrich students' experiences of the arts and to expand their knowledge of various world cultures.

KidsReach is children and teens...

  • embracing diverse cultures, forming ensembles and performing at One World
  • earning and singing songs in other languages
  • listening to the history of costumes, traditions and instruments of other lands
  • creating instruments of their own and playing music as a group
  • dancing in the ancient traditions of our world

This outreach endeavor receives funding through grants and contracts from the City of Austin Cultural Affairs Division and the Texas Commission on the Arts, however a good portion of that funding is threatened by city and state budget cuts. In order to ensure the continuation of this critical component in the education of our community’s youth, One World requests and welcomes financial support of KidsReach through grants and contributions.

Kids Series
Our Summer Season 2001 introduced our first Kids Series featuring the worldly talents of some of the KidsReach artists in our own theatre. Prior to many performances the children build their own instruments to later accompany the artist during the performance. Proceeds from ticket sales help fund free performances at One World for underserved families and children, including those from organizations such as: Any Baby Can, Austin Children’s Shelter, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Family Connections, Project HELP (Homeless Education and Learning Project), SafePlace, Settlement Home and many others.