The Léni Fé Bland Performing Arts Partnership was created in honor of the late Léni Fé Bland, a champion philanthropist in the performing arts community of Santa Barbara, California. Léni believed that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic class, race or gender deserve the chance to experience the performing arts, and all its benefits. In honor of Léni, Sara Miller McCune created The Léni Fund to ensure that equitable access to the performing arts would continue, and prosper.
Our mission is to partner with performing arts organizations in Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Unified School District in order to provide students and teachers equitable access to performances and promote the performing arts in education.
- The Léni Fund provides Santa Barbara Unified School District students from Pre-k to 12th-grade access to in-theatre performing arts performances and in-class workshops.
- Students attend performances in four of Santa Barbara’s historic theaters: the Granada, the Lobero, the Arlington, and The New Vic.
- The Léni Fund is in partnership with 16 performing arts organizations to provide curriculum relevant performing arts outreach across four performing arts disciplines: Dance, Music, Theatre, and Film.
”I admire the Santa Barbara Education Foundation because of their work to provide empowering resources to students, especially those often underserved. I founded the Léni Fé Bland Performing Arts Fund with SBEF so that all students would have the opportunity to attend live theater. Today, students kindergarten through 12th grade are visiting our historic downtown theaters. Imagine, a senior in high school attended his first live play –and loved it! I’m so grateful to SBEF.Together, we ensure our students have powerful and exciting experiences and exposure to the performing arts.
Sara Miller McCune
If you would like to donate to the Léni Fé Bland Performing Arts Partnership, please click the Donate button below. Your gift is greatly appreciated!
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