SANTA BARBARA BOWL
The Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation’s Outreach program, in partnership with Children’s Creative Project, a nonprofit program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office, welcomed more than 2,000 elementary students to Kids at the Bowl on Wednesday, November 4. Students from across Santa Barbara County, including schools throughout North County, came together at the Bowl for a high-energy cultural performance and the shared experience of live art.
This year’s featured artist is Step Afrika!, the world’s leading authority on the art form of stepping. Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! blends the percussive traditions of historically African American fraternities and sororities with traditional African dance and contemporary movement. Songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation bring each performance to life, making Step Afrika! an ideal match for an amphitheater filled with students.
Step Afrika! uses stepping as an educational tool to encourage teamwork, academic achievement, and cross-cultural understanding. The Company has toured more than 60 countries, headlined President Barack Obama’s Black History Month Reception, and performed at the first Juneteenth Celebration at the White House.
Following the performance, 41 fourth- and fifth-grade students from Santa Ynez Elementary took part in Step Afrika!’s Stepping Into Schools Workshop. Grounded in teamwork, commitment, and discipline, the workshop welcomes all skill levels and is designed to build confidence and cultural understanding. During the session, students learned basic step movements, practiced moving together, and explored the rhythm and teamwork at the heart of stepping.
Since the early 1990s, Children’s Creative Project (CCP) and the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation have partnered to connect thousands of local students with engaging, culturally relevant arts experiences. From music and dance to physical theatre and inclusive programming, Kids at the Bowl helps make the performing arts accessible to students across the region, from Carpinteria to Santa Maria.
“Kids at the Bowl reflects what Outreach is all about: bringing our community together and making extraordinary arts experiences accessible to young people across the county,” said Rick Boller, CEO of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. “Step Afrika! brings excitement, rhythm, and a powerful spirit of community that will connect with students and remind us how the arts can inspire, unite, and create a lasting sense of belonging.”
“Kids at the Bowl is one of the most joyful and meaningful days of our year,” said Graham Lyons, Chair of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. “We’re proud to welcome students from every corner of the county, from Santa Barbara to Lompoc, Santa Maria, and the Santa Ynez Valley, and to create a place where every young person feels welcome, connected, and inspired.”
For more than 30 years, Bowl Outreach has invested in youth performing arts through grants, instruments, artist residencies, subsidized tickets, and special events. Kids at the Bowl is a cornerstone of that work, introducing young audiences to the magic of live performance at one of the region’s most iconic venues.
For more than 50 years, Children’s Creative Project has connected students with professional cultural performances, including its annual student event launched in 1981. Kids at the Bowl reflects CCP’s mission to spark curiosity and cultivate creativity through inclusive, high-quality arts education for students from preschool through high school.
“The annual Kids at the Bowl event is an exciting opportunity for thousands of Santa Barbara County students to experience an inspiring live performance,” said Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools. “Step Afrika! brings collaboration, creativity, and cultural pride to life on stage, inspiring students to explore their own voices through the arts. Through our Children’s Creative Project and partnership with the Bowl, we’re proud to help make this experience possible and are grateful to our partners for bringing the arts to students across our county.”
