Kara Armstrong Named New Director of Arts Education
Kansas City Young Audiences announces Kara Armstrong is New Director of Arts Education
For immediate release: Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA), the region’s largest provider of arts education,.jpg)
announced today that Kara Armstrong has been named Director of Arts Education. Kara will be responsible for managing the nearly 200 contracted teaching artists who provide programs for Kansas City area children and for developing new arts education programs.
announced today that Kara Armstrong has been named Director of Arts Education. Kara will be responsible for managing the nearly 200 contracted teaching artists who provide programs for Kansas City area children and for developing new arts education programs. KCYA Executive Director, Martin English said “We are pleased to have a person of Kara’s caliber join our talented KCYA team. Kara has the experience and tools to engage students in the arts in active, creative ways that support their educational success. We are particularly interested in her abilities in program development and management. We’re confident Kara will be a valuable asset for KCYA.”
Most recently, Kara was the Education Director for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. In her role there Kara created numerous new programs including Shakespeare Unbound, a three-week all girl summer camp in the urban core. She also piloted the festival’s first residency at a local homeless shelter, ReStart. In 2008, the festival began Shakespeare To Go, a touring collection of greatest hits from Shakespeare’s canon.
Kara Armstrong said “I am thrilled to join the staff of Kansas City Young Audiences. I am excited to bring my theatre background to interdisciplinary arts programs. I am looking forward to getting to know and work with all of KCYA’s teaching artists, school educators and the Community School of the Arts families.”
Kara earned a B. A. in Theatre from Loyola University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theatre at the University of Missouri Kansas City. She was an adjunct professor of Theatre Arts at Benedictine College. Kara has also held freelance teaching artist positions with the Coterie Theatre, Academy of the Arts, St. Peter’s School and was an Education Associate for Kansas City Repertory Theatre Education and Community Outreach Department. While working for the Kansas City Rep, Kara taught in school residencies, after school drama programs and led student matinee talk backs. Kara was also the co-founder, producer and director for her own theatre company, for which she directed several new works.
