Ask Krannert Center’s Sam Smith what engagement means, and he won't start by talking about ticket sales, marketing campaigns, or audience development. Instead, he'll tell you a story.

Krannert Center’s performances offer audiences the chance to experience and be transformed by world-class music, theatre and dance from around the globe. While thousands of attendees experience the transformative power of our presented works, an increasing number are also engaging through research collaborations, international residencies, school-based arts integration, and sustained creative partnerships. These efforts contribute to the broader university vision and support the elevation of the arts as essential to a sense of civic belonging, healing, and public education.

The opening sentence of our mission statement reads, “Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is dedicated to the advancement of education, research, and public engagement through the pursuit of excellence and innovation in the performing arts.”

While the obvious link to the “education” portion of that statement is the students at the University of Illinois, our mission also extends to students from pre-school through high school, through the Krannert Center Youth Series.