Under normal circumstances, Walton Arts Center’s Learning and Engagement teams would be welcoming busloads of students from area schools into our building for Colgate Classroom Series performances, artist talkbacks, workshops and other educational activities. While that isn’t possible right now—that hasn’t stopped our team from finding new ways of engaging with students!
Sallie Zazal shows the Teen Leadership ‘X’Perience Group the Baum Walker Hall stage
The L&E team is now offering in-person and virtual venue tours, giving students or community groups an opportunity to learn about the various spaces in Walton Arts Center including the unique opportunity to go on-stage and backstage.
Recently, the L&E team continued WAC’s relationship with the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce’s Teen Leadership ‘X’Perience. The program engages high school juniors and educates them about community issues while also connecting them with local businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions and public offices.
Two groups from the program’s current cohort visited WAC in early November for small, socially distant venue tours lead by Sallie Zazal, director of L&E. The students also learned about WAC’s history and place in the Fayetteville community. After the tour, they were joined by President and CEO, Peter B. Lane, in the Bradberry Rose Garden for a question and answer session. The students diligently took notes and photos for a presentation given to their larger cohort.
Peter B. Lane answers questions from students in the Bradberry Amphitheater and Rose Garden
“It’s been so great to have students in the building again,” Zazal said of the tour. “Working with students is such a huge part of who we are and what we do and we didn’t realize how much we were missing that interaction until we started giving these tours again. It’s really helped us rediscover our purpose, and it’s so good to have learning happening in Walton Arts Center.”
For larger groups, the L&E team has adapted their venue tour to a virtual format. The virtual tour process was recently piloted with a local Girl Scout troop. Each troop member joined the tour from home via a Zoom meeting while L&E team members Mallory Barker, Sallie Zazal and Dr. Patricia Relph joined the meeting from various spaces in the venue, allowing for smoother transitions during the tour.
Mallory Barker took the troop through patron-facing spaces including Tyson Plaza, Walker Atrium and the General Mills Box Office. Sallie Zazal then showed off the stage in Baum Walker Hall and included educational touchpoints about the theater’s proscenium arch and fly system. Finally, Dr. Pat taught the scouts about Starr Theater’s black box layout and how it can be adapted for many kinds of performances.
The virtual tour format was successful and has been offered to all teachers that the L&E team works with on a regular basis. Any groups interested in a tour can contact Sallie Zazal at szazal@waltonartscenter.org.