Telling Stories

The Performing Arts and Education Cooperative (PAEC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity comprising some of The Valley’s most well-known performing arts organizations. Currently, we include Valley Light Opera, Amherst Community Theater, Rainbow Players/Empowerment Through the Arts, and Starlight’s Youth Theatre.

Collectively, we produce approximately 45 live performances per year, with over 800 community members participating annually as actors, dancers, singers, instrumentalists, costumers, set, lighting and sound designers, and other support roles. Additionally, we provide education and outreach to K-12 students throughout Hampshire and Franklin counties. In an increasingly fractious cultural landscape, performing arts groups support a space to build community, empathy, creative exploration of the human condition, as well as to experience beauty and joy.

The resident companies have expressed needs that vary but include many similarities. Some need only rehearsal space, some need rehearsal and build space, some need only performance space, while others would like to have all of these under one roof and make this new facility their new home. In order for this facility to meet the needs of the companies which have expressed interest, the facility will:

• Include production facilities to be shared by the performing arts groups in the Valley.

• Provide a home for theater people in the valley; a place where members of different companies working on different shows can meet each other and learn from each other.
• Provide opportunities for young people and other community members to the discover the joys and thrills of creating live performance productions.
• To bring all the participants in a given performance together in a single place where participants can get to know each other and become involved in other aspects of production in addition to their primary role.
• To train young people and community members in the all the skills involved in producing live theater.