Location: Fayetteville
Organization Type: Arts Education & Support, Performing Arts
Mission: To empower children and youth and enrich lives through excellence in youth theatre and education.
Arts Live Theatre
Location: Fayetteville
Organization Type: Arts Education & Support, Performing Arts
Events
Events
Mission
To empower children and youth and enrich lives through excellence in youth theatre and education.
About
What Is Arts Live Theatre?
Arts Live Theatre is a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) children’s and youth theatre company.
History: It was established in 1983 and officially incorporated in 1984.
Location: The theatre is located at 818 North Sang Avenue, Fayetteville, AR.
Facility: Their space includes classrooms, a black box theatre, dressing rooms, a scene and costume shop, props storage, an actor’s lounge, a kitchen, and administrative offices.
Programs & Activities
Productions: They run both mainstage and second-stage productions. Over the years, they have produced a large number of shows — by their 41st season, they reported about 250 productions.
Classes & Camps: Offers after-school classes, spring break, and summer camps for grades K–12, covering topics like theatre production, acting, television production, radio theatre, and readers’ theatre.
Scholarships: They have a “Bumpin Scholarship Program” to help with class and participation fees.
Awards: They host their own awards event called the ALTYS (Arts Live Theatre Awards), recognizing young artists onstage and behind the scenes.Audience Reach: According to their site, over their history they’ve reached ~500,000 audience members.
Young Artists: They report having impacted around 8,500 young artists (as of their 41st season).
Productions per Year: As noted on fundraising/community sites, they produce about 8 Broadway-style productions each year
Nonprofit Status: They are relatively lean — for example, their CauseIQ listing shows just 3 employees.
Unique Mission: They are the only dedicated children and youth theatre company in Northwest Arkansas.
Educational Impact: By offering classes, camps, and productions specifically for young people, they provide a platform for youth to develop confidence, creativity, teamwork, and performance skills.
Local Recognition: They are listed on the City of Fayetteville’s performing arts resources as a key youth theatre institution.
Community Celebration: Through their ALTYS event, they recognize and celebrate their participants, reinforcing the value they place on both performance and personal growth.
How to Get Involved / Access Their Programs
Auditions: Kids and teens (grades K–12) can audition for productions.
Classes/Camps: Available in different formats (after school, summer, spring break) — good for both beginners and more experienced young actors.
Attend Shows: Check their website for current season shows, tickets, and show times.
Why It Stands Out
Youth-Centered: Unlike many community theatres that mix all ages, Arts Live Theatre is entirely youth-focused, giving kids their own creative space.
Professional Quality: Even though it’s youth theatre, their productions are noted for their professionalism — and they have a relatively high output for a nonprofit youth theatre.
Long-Running: With 40+ years of history, they have deep roots in Fayetteville’s arts community.
Positive Impact: Testimonials from parents/participants emphasize confidence building, belonging, and transformative personal growth.