Zaccho’s Youth Performing Arts Program (YPAP) builds community through arts education for Bayview Hunters Point and the surrounding area school-age youth. YPAP’s mission is to enhance the physical and mental aspects of learning by centering artistic expression and development through contemporary dance, aerial dance, and theater. This free program creates a supportive, dynamic environment for developing young artists to thrive, providing opportunities to collaborate with artists and mentors in a professional setting while engaging in socially and historically relevant topics. Additionally, YPAP fosters a sense of confidence, agency, and empowerment while reinforcing art-making as a tool for social consciousness.
OUR PROGRAM OFFERS
→ Free, world-class arts education in aerial dance, contemporary dance, improvisation, theater, and creative research for youth ages 7–17
→ Creative exploration of history, culture, and the environment through movement, dialogue, and performance
→ An average of 200 hours of annual, curated instruction through in-school and after-school programs in partnership with SFUSD and community organizations
→A safe, supportive and inclusive space where students grow as artists, thinkers, and agents of change in their personal lives and communities
→ Opportunities to collaborate with working artists in a professional studio or theater environment
→ Opportunities to perform in front of a large audience
→ Development of critical life skills, including confidence, physical literacy, teamwork, social responsibility, and positive self-expression
→ Trauma-informed, bilingual, and disability-accessible instruction delivered by BIPOC teaching artists—many of whom are YPAP alumni
→ Opportunities to Audition for Pre-Professional Training through the Zaccho Youth Company (ZYC) for students interested in more performance opportunities and exploring a career path in the arts
