Poway Onstage was founded in 1991 as the non-profit organization that brings nationally and internationally touring artists from the worlds of music, dance and theater to the City of Poway’s 800-seat Poway Center for the Performing Arts via our Professional Performance Season. We annually serve 8,000-10,000 audience members.

Since 1999 Poway OnStage has presented the Arts in Education Initiative in collaboration with the Poway Unified School District. Poway OnStage currently serves over 100,000 K-12 students annually, including those in Title 1 and Low Arts Equity schools. The Arts in Education Initiative incorporates Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Standards-based arts education activities into a variety of programs including: ArtsEd OnStage Student Matinee Performances, Introduction to Instruments Assemblies, a Children’s Musical Theater camp, In-school Workshops, Master Classes and other educational activities.

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Poway OnStage developed a “Virtual Performance Curriculum” (VPC) designed to keep students connected to the arts while sheltering at home. Two years later, the series has reached more than 370,000 students in 24 school districts across San Diego County. The series combines pre-recorded performances by professional musicians, dancers, and theater artists with a series of enhancement activities that provide hands-on experience with the discipline being featured. The VPC feature a virtual 360-degree tour of the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, as well as enhancement activities that are designed by professional educators and align with State of California VAPA standards. Recent VPC topics have celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month, the history of “The Nutcracker,” American Immigration stories, and Black History Month. At the request of teachers county-wide, Poway OnStage continues to offer our VPC in addition to in-person activities, indicating the unparalleled impact that the series had on students.