‍At the heart of the arts in Prescott since 1968, Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) puts over $20,000 into scholarships and youth programs each year. Two upcoming programs will assist young people in exploring the arts, and readers are encouraged to get involved.

Performing-arts scholarships

For 39 years PCA has awarded annual competitive scholarships. Most years the competition is done in person, but with the pandemic it is being held virtually this year, as it was in 2020.

This is a competition for anyone in Yavapai County from middle through high school. Applications are being accepted now through March 15. Applicants will have until April 12 to submit artwork, which can be photos or videos. There is a $10 fee per category. The eight categories are Visual Arts, Drama, Piano, Strings, Winds/Brass/Percussion, Musical Theatre, and Classical Voice. Each participant may submit up to three entries per category, using the file formats listed on the website.

There are two divisions for this competition, split by age range. Prizes will vary from $150-500, with winners announced May 15. For further information regarding this scholarship, visit the PCA website at pca-az.net/scholarship

Young Playwrights Festival

In PCA’s 11th annual Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) young people are invited to write short plays. Scripts will be juried and winners selected by late May or early June.

The festival follows the same age requirements as the scholarship competition. The youngest winner so far was Arwinn Heartisan, a fourth-grader who won an honorable mention in 2019.

In addition to the prize money, winners will see their plays performed during the festival. As directors bring the plays to life, the young writers learn how their material may be interpreted and expanded in the process. Winners are also invited to participate in selected master classes during the Young Playwrights Workshop in the summer.

One of 2019's winners, David Wauters, says of the experience, “It gave me a chance to see things from a different perspective. I had the opportunity to work with PCA director Bruce Lanning and learned a lot. It was a good experience!”

For more information, visit the PCA website at www.pca-az.net/ypf

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