"A Family Affair,
Winter Wonderland Gala"
Celebrating 11 Years of Family, Culture & Creativity
For more than a decade, Raw Talent Performing Arts has been a family rooted in resilience, culture, and community. Since 2014, we’ve brought the arts into classrooms and neighborhoods across Chicago, reaching thousands of young people through dance, music, you are uplifting lives, strengthening communities, and creating change that echoes far beyond today. theater, visual arts, and workforce pathways. Our mission has always been bigger than performance: it’s about building family, nurturing creativity, and ensuring that art and culture remain at the heart of thriving communities.
“A Family Affair Gala” is the next chapter of that story. In an intimate setting with only 50 seats available, we invite you to join us for an evening of comedy, live music, spoken word, and youth artistry. Together, we’ll celebrate 11 years of impact and invest in a future where every student has access to arts education and creative expression.
✨ Every ticket purchased covers one month of arts teaching and education for a Raw Talent student. By attending, you are not just enjoying a night of joy and inspiration
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Our Mission
Raw Talent Performing Arts empowers BIPOC youth, ages 3–18, and 18-24 who often face barriers to quality arts education, career and technical education (CTE), and workforce pathways. Through innovative arts programming, mentorship, and community-centered education, we cultivate creativity, resilience, and equity while preparing youth for lifelong success.
Dedicated Educators
At Raw Talent Performing Arts, we recognize that effective learning is facilitated by experienced and knowledgeable instructors. We are committed to delivering outstanding multidisciplinary arts instruction, and our comprehensive training and staff development programs equip our teachers to create personalized curricula that cater to the individual needs of each student. "Our focus is the WHOLE student."
Commitment to Excellence
At Raw Talent Performing Arts, equity is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to providing BIPOC youth from historically under-resourced Chicago neighborhoods with access to high-quality, culturally relevant arts education. Through trauma-informed teaching, racial healing, and youth-led programming, we empower young people to express themselves, heal, and lead.
We hire and support BIPOC teaching artists, pay equitable wages, and build partnerships with schools and organizations like Chicago Public Schools, Youth Guidance, and the Reva and David Logan Center to ensure our programs reflect and uplift the communities we serve.
Our Vision
To establish a national model for community-based performing arts and workforce development that transforms lives, closes opportunity gaps, and creates generational wealth through creativity and education.
First-Rate Curriculum
No matter your level of experience, we have you covered at Raw Talent Performing Arts! Our instruction is designed to meet the needs of students at all skill levels, from beginners to experts and everyone in between. We offer interactive learning opportunities that cater to a diverse range of ages, from Pre-Kindergarten all the way up to High School Seniors.
We offer an array of introductory programs designed to prepare students for the next phase of their lives, under our initiative of "Becoming a Model Leader". Our multidisciplinary arts programming gives scholars a distinct advantage in achieving academic success. We take great pride in developing well-rounded leaders who can navigate a variety of challenges and opportunities.
ENROLL TODAY
IN
DANCE ACADEMY
Technique and expression across styles, for stage and beyond.
Ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, West African, and musical theatre—all under one roof. Our academy blends technique, artistry, and social-emotional learning with performance opportunities at showcases, parades, and community stages. Our classes are rooted in wellness, creativity, mentorship, Social Emotional Learning.
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Develop strong technique
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Express yourself across styles
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Perform for stage and community
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Ages 3 through 18
Our Impact
Over the past 12 months, we've provided high quality arts education to 500 students across Chicago Public Schools and Community programs.
5000+
EDUCATED STUDENTS
10,000+
IMPACTED STUDENTS
25+
HOSTED PROGRAMMING FOR SCHOOLS & PARK DISTRICTS
30+
STAFF HAS OVER 30 YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING THE PERFORMING, VISUAL, AND MEDIA ARTS.
Community Impact Is Key
OUR PARTNERS WOODLAND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER- TAILGATING PARTY
Raw Talent Performing Arts partnered with WCDC in Hammond, Indiana, where we instructed 30 dancers and drummers with only beginners experience this past summer.
Our Current
Partnerships
Angelica Hubbard-Davis
"I had a great time in the Business Bootcamp class. Even though I didn't make it to all sessions, the ones I attended were very informative and relatable and I left with a lot of pointers to get myself on the right track and I am now confident to follow through with my plan of action."
Simaya Scott-Elite Dancer
"Raw Talent provided a second family for me. They help become a better person. They gave me life tools that I can use in everyday life. I would most definitely recommend Raw Talent Performing Arts to children, teens, adults, and everybody. Raw Talent help me changed my life and I love working with them."