CENTRE KIDS PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW WITH SUPPORT FROM PRESENTING SPONSOR OFFICE DEPOT

(l to r) Wendy Larsen, Chair, Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park, Mary Wong, Director of Community Relations, Office Depot, Inc.; Allison Garcia, Chair, Centre Kids Committee and Mark W. Glickman, Executive Director, Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park.

BOCA RATON, FL (January 03, 2005) – The Centre Kids program of the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park recently celebrated another successful performance as The Snow Girl brought nearly 1,000 schoolchildren to the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater – and a smile to the face of Mary Wong, Director of Community Relations at Office Depot, Inc., the presenting sponsor of the four-part series.

“Children have limited opportunities to be exposed to the arts,” Wong said before taking the stage to introduce the performance by the Birmingham Children’s Theater. “It expands their imaginations and inspires them to be whatever they want to be. We’re very proud to be a part of it.”

Office Depot is the presenting sponsor of the Centre Kids’ second season, having contributed $80,000 to cover performing fees, production costs and publicity.

“The Centre Kids program would not be possible without the generosity of our friends at Office Depot,” said Wendy U. Larsen, chair of the board of directors for the Center for the Arts at Mizner Park. “They recognize the importance of arts and culture to the education and development of our children. We greatly appreciate their support.”

Dr. Art Johnson, superintendent of the Palm Beach County School District, recently lauded the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park for establishing a strong community partnership with the public school system and emphasized the need for arts and culture in a well-rounded education.

“Reading about Shakespeare in the classroom is a lot different than going to see a theatrical performance. This program complements our curriculum by enabling kids to experience the arts at a higher level,” Dr. Johnson said.

Introduced last year, the Centre Kids program was developed to give students from Palm County and Broward County the opportunity to learn about and experience the performing arts. The series is designed for pre-school students as well as public and private elementary school children through 12th grade. Each show has a targeted age group and study guides are provided to students when they register to prepare them for each performance to maximize the educational value of the program. All of the productions are performed by national touring companies.

The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park is inviting teachers from throughout the area to bring their classes. Tickets for each performance are $3 per student or adult. The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park requires one chaperone for every 10 students attending. There is no charge for the chaperones. Scholarships are available for each show if needed.

Advance reservations are required for all performances, which begin at 10 a.m. with pre-show entertainment at 9:30 a.m. All shows are rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable. Tented/covered seating is provided for Centre Kids programs at the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater.

Following are the two remaining performances scheduled for the 2nd Annual Centre Kids series. Target age ranges are listed, but everyone is encouraged to attend:

• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, performed by Theater IV, on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 10 a.m. with 3rd Grade through 12th as the target age;
• Fly Dance, performed the FLY Dance Company, on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 10 a.m. Kindergarten through 12th Grade is the target age.

Additional sponsors for this year’s Centre Kids series include the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, Palm Beach County and the JKG Group, which provided printing services for the Centre Kids brochure.

For more information about the Centre Kids program or to make reservations for individuals or groups, contact the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park at 561-368-8445 or visit the web site at www.centre4artsboca.com.