Welcome to the Department of Performing Arts and Arts Leadership! We are a vibrant, passionate, multi-disciplinary community of students, faculty and staff, striving to create a more just, and humane world through the arts. We are committed to fostering artistic growth, developing innovative approaches to making art and creating a diverse and inclusive community of artists and arts leaders.
PAAL houses programs in Theatre, Music and Arts Leadership.
The Theatre and Music programs focus on the creative growth of the artist, offering students many performance/production opportunities including the mainstage theatre season; the choir and instrumental concert series; and student generated performances. Through our Pigott Family Endowment for the Arts we bring renowned national and international guest artists to teach and perform on campus.
The Arts Leadership program offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees. The Master of Fine Arts degree that provides future arts leaders with an opportunity to merge the latest management practices of nonprofit organizations with the specific skills necessary to lead complex arts organizations. The undergraduate degree allows students an entry into this field as part of an undergraduate education, allowing them to combine their passion for performing arts with leadership and management training.
Students in PAAL receive close mentorship and training working alongside faculty who are all professionals actively working in their fields. We also take full advantage of our central location in one of the most flourishing arts cities in the country. Whether attending live performances and visiting museums/galleries for a class, or interning for credit at one of many established or innovative arts organizations in the city, students are immersed in the thriving Seattle arts scene. Students also have opportunities to connect with underserved populations in the arts through touring and outreach programs; bringing vital arts programming into the community.
What is the future direction of the arts in the 21st Century and where is your place in it? How do you see the arts impacting the community? Come explore, learn and discover with us.
Rosa Joshi
Chair
Performing Arts and Arts Leadership