Shaping the Future of Family Theater: Your Fox Cities PAC Helps Fuel $139,000 National Investment in New Art
At your Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, our mission has always extended far beyond the performances on our stages. It’s about enriching the community, inspiring the next generation of artists and leaders, and ensuring the arts remain a vibrant, accessible force in Northeast Wisconsin and beyond.
That is why we are incredibly proud to highlight our involvement in the TYA Tour Development Collective (TYA TDC), a nationwide network of 21 performing arts venues across 16 states. Working alongside major cultural institutions from New York to California, your Fox Cities P.A.C. is actively investing in the creation of groundbreaking, high-quality theater specifically designed for youth and family audiences.
Recently, the Collective announced a major milestone: a successful second round of commissioning awards totaling $139,000 to fund six brand-new artistic works.
A Growing Movement for Young Audiences
The TYA Tour Development Collective originally launched as a nine-venue pilot program in 2025, and in just one year, it has more than doubled in size. This rapid expansion underscores a shared commitment among presenters across the country to financially support independent artists and companies, even during challenging economic times for the non-profit arts sector.
As a proud member of this collective, your Fox Cities P.A.C. collaborated with fellow presenters to review 64 applications from artists across the country. Together, we helped narrow the field to 12 finalists, ultimately selecting six standout artists and companies to receive significant financial backing and developmental support.
The 2026 Commissioned Artists & Companies:
- All My Relations Collective | Brooklyn, NY
- Dominic Moore-Dunson | Akron, OH
- Honolulu Theatre for Youth | Honolulu, HI
- Joy Play Heart Productions | Washington, D.C.
- Manual Cinema | Chicago, IL
- Sandglass Theater | Putney, VT
By putting real resources directly into the hands of these creators, the Collective is doing more than just helping to see ambitious new projects to completion. The commissioned artists are also accessing a built-in national touring network, market visibility, and a passionate team of advocates ready to bring their stories to life in communities like ours.
Why Local Investment Matters on a National Stage
“Supporting the development of new touring work for families is essential not just for building our future audiences, but for the enrichment of today’s children across the country,” says Daniel Hahn, Vice President of Education at fellow founding member venue Playhouse Square.
The arts community is already seeing the incredible ripple effects of this teamwork. A funded project from the Collective’s inaugural 2025 cycle – a dance theater adaptation of Kobi Yamada’s New York Times bestseller, What Do You Do With A Problem? by Inlet Dance Theatre – successfully leveraged this initial support to secure full production funding, and it will officially launch a national tour this coming fall.
Looking Ahead to the Fox Cities
By getting in at the ground floor of these creations, your Fox Cities P.A.C. helps ensure that world-class, innovative, and deeply relevant family programming continues to have a direct pipeline to Appleton.
The Collective will launch its third funding cycle in the fall of 2026, aiming to develop fresh new works for the 2028-2029 national touring season. We look forward to watching these six new commissions grow from ideas into breathtaking realities, and we can’t wait to share the magic of live, transformative storytelling with your family right here at the Center.
To learn more about the initiative or to follow updates on the newly funded projects, visit www.tyatourdevelopment.org.