JMU Forbes Center Website

Forbes Center Welcomes HCPS Middle and High Schoolers for Free Music Performance
​Union Sponsors 'Forbes Family Fun' Shows for Third Season

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More than 500 middle and high school students in Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) got to see the female a cappella group from Zimbabwe, Nobuntu, thanks to the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. As a major presenting partner with Any Given Child (AGC) Harrisonburg, the Forbes Center has made a commitment to provide quality performing arts programming in conjunction with the AGC national program overseen by The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Locally, the AGC program is focused on ensuring access and equity for all children in grades preK-8 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Students had the opportunity to attend a matinee on Thursday, Nov. 16. The 60-minute performance was followed by a question-and-answer session with the five members of Nobuntu.

According to Regan Byrne, executive director of the Forbes Center and a member of the Arts Experience committee for AGC Harrisonburg, the Forbes Center has promised to offer varying groups and age ranges within preK-8 the chance to experience at least one live performance per season. In addition to Nobuntu, the Forbes Center will host HCPS students for The 13-Story Treehouse by Australia’s CDP Theatre Producers in January and How I Became a Pirate by Dallas Children’s Theater in April. Nobuntu, The 13-Story Treehouse and How I Became a Pirate are all ‘Forbes Family Fun’ shows included in the Forbes Center 2017-2018 Masterpiece Season.

Now in their fifth season, Forbes Family Fun shows were introduced by the Center to provide quality performing arts programming for young audiences and their families. This year’s Forbes Family Fun series is sponsored by Union Bank & Trust, who has sponsored the series since 2015.
“Union Bank & Trust is a longtime supporter of the arts, area schools, charitable organizations, and local causes. We are excited to return as the sponsor of the Forbes Family Fun series, supporting and raising awareness of the performing arts in the Shenandoah Valley,” says Charlie Martorana, senior vice president/Harrisonburg market executive at Union. According to Byrne, “It’s always gratifying when a business leader such as Union makes a commitment to young people in the Valley. Sponsorship makes it possible for the Forbes Center to reach out to diverse audiences and to provide quality family programming.”

​For tickets to Forbes Center events, visit www.jmuforbescenter.com or call the Forbes Center Box Office at (540) 568-7000.