Stage Connect
Now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year!
Bring the magic of Disney to your school and shine a spotlight on your students! We are thrilled to announce Stage Connect, a new online platform expanding Disney Musicals in Schools nationwide!
Any public elementary school in the United States is eligible to apply. Schools with demonstrated economic need are particularly encouraged to apply, as are schools who are not currently eligible for the in-person model of the program.
Applications due Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Note: This is a competitive grant application, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete it. The application will require a signature from your principal and a video recording.
Below you’ll find a brief overview video, program information, and important dates to help you prepare for your application.
Overview
Add a little magic to your school with Disney Musicals in Schools – a Disney Theatrical Group initiative that ignites a passion for storytelling by building sustainable theater programs in public elementary schools.
For 16 years, Disney Musicals in Schools has created sustainable musical theater programs in public elementary schools by providing the training and resources to guide classroom teachers through producing their first school musical. The program is available in 22 cities across the US and UK through partnerships with local performing arts organizations, and over 100,000 kids have been in their first school musical to-date.
Now, in an effort to make Disney Musicals in Schools more widely available, we are proud to announce Stage Connect, an online teacher training program that expands Disney Musicals in Schools across the United States.
By providing the same, high-quality teacher professional development from the in-person program via online learning, Stage Connect removes geographic barriers and extends Disney Musicals in Schools to communities without access to the traditional in-person program.
This year, up to 200 schools will be selected to participate in Disney Musicals in Schools: Stage Connect and receive free access to Stage Connect and free performance rights to a Disney show.
The program presents a special opportunity to introduce the collaborative art of musical theatre to your school, strengthen your arts programming, and develop partnerships among students, faculty, staff, and the greater community.
Mimosa Arts
Goals
The goals of Disney Musicals in Schools are to:
- Create sustainable musical theatre programs in public elementary schools.
- Provide school faculty with the training and tools necessary to support student performance and production, and to empower them to do so.
- Develop a critical awareness and appreciation of the arts within the school.
- Develop a strong community, including students, parents, faculty, staff, and neighbors.
- Expose students and school faculty to the wide spectrum of skills that are developed when producing a piece of musical theatre, including critical thinking, problem solving, ensemble building, communication, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills.
What is Stage Connect?
Through online learning, Disney Musicals in Schools: Stage Connect provides the foundational training for educators to successfully produce a school musical, regardless of their prior experience. Think of it like an online course on how to stage your first school musical.
Hosted by L. Steven Taylor and Bonita Hamilton from Broadway’s The Lion King, Stage Connect features demonstration videos and downloadable resources that coach teachers through all facets of putting on a show.
Recipient teachers will take the Stage Connect online courses before beginning the rehearsal process in their school. The platform provides on-demand reference materials, downloadable resources, and instructional videos every step of the way.
Eligibility
Disney Theatrical Group will select up to 200 public elementary schools to participate in the 2025-2026 Disney Musicals in Schools: Stage Connect program. Eligible schools are able to:
- Commit a minimum of 4 teachers or staff to run the program from beginning to end, including participating in every rehearsal
- Demonstrate a need for the arts and a commitment to continuing a theater program.
Schools with demonstrated economic need will be prioritized for participation as will schools who are not currently eligible for the in-person model of the program. Not sure if your school district is eligible for the in-person model?
Browse our current locations here.
Selected Schools Will Receive:
| ✓ Free performance rights (valid for one year) to a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical of their choosing (available shows include 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, The Aristocats, Finding Nemo, Frozen, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, and Winnie the Pooh). |
| ✓ Free ShowKit materials, including a director’s guide, student scripts, accompaniment and rehearsal tracks, choreography videos, and cross-curricular activities. |
| ✓ Free access to Stage Connect, the Disney Musicals in Schools online teacher training program, for up to six teachers/staff (the School Team). |
✓ Stage Connect features robust online courses to help your school build a theater program. Stage Connect courses include:
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| ✓ Stage Connect also includes templates and instructional videos to help you along the way. Examples include: rehearsal schedule templates, directing demonstration videos, audition demonstration videos, sound design instructional videos, etc. |
| ✓ Free access to synchronous learning opportunities such as webinars and custom support based on the needs of the schools in the cohort. |
| ✓ Because the mission of Disney Musicals in Schools is to create lasting theater programs, we are pleased to offer 3 years of programming to schools who successfully complete the first year. Upon success of Year 1, schools will be invited to participate in alumni programming that offers step-down support for two additional years. In their second year of the program, schools will retain access to Stage Connect and receive another complementary license and standard ShowKit to a Disney KIDS musical. In year three of the program, schools will continue to have access to Stage Connect and receive a 50% discount to a Disney KIDS musical should they choose to produce one. Please note that these program benefits are for the recipient school, and do not transfer to another school should an individual teacher change jobs. |
Selected schools will be expected to:
| ✓ Produce a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical (see available shows here) involving 3rd – 5th graders both on and off stage. |
| ✓ Identify a School Team comprising at least four teachers and staff members, who will complete all Stage Connect course work and oversee and manage the program from beginning to end. The selected School Team will receive in-depth training through the Stage Connect platform. |
| ✓ Commit to a minimum of 45 hours of out-of-school time rehearsal. We recommend two 90-minute rehearsals per week, for 17 weeks, but other approaches can be successful. A minimum of four school team members should plan on being at every rehearsal. |
| ✓ Commit to rehearsing and producing the full show (30-45 minutes in length) in an out-of-school time setting. |
| ✓ Participate in webinars, virtual meetings, and correspondence with the Stage Connect support team. |
| ✓ Provide space, time, materials, and resources for students and the School Team to rehearse and prepare for the musical production. |
| ✓ Hold a minimum of one public performance of the musical. |
Program Timeline
Recipient schools will have the opportunity to select one of two programming timelines.
| Cohort A | Cohort B | |
|---|---|---|
| Application Deadline | July 1 | July 1 |
| Applicant Notification of Status | Late August | Late August |
| Orientation | September | November |
| Teacher Course Work Completion | October | December |
| Rehearsal | October – February | January – May |
| Performance | Late February – Early March | Late May – Early June |
Financial Commitment
Performance rights, ShowKit materials, Stage Connect access, and additional support will be provided at no charge to selected schools. Selected schools will be responsible for a production budget of any amount, determined by the school. Disney KIDS Musicals are designed to be produced inexpensively, and have been successfully mounted within a budget of $300-$1500. Stage Connect provides training for teachers to maximize the school’s production budget. Any additional costs, such as out-of-school time payments for school staff, will be the school’s responsibility.
Application
Once everyone in your prospective team has reviewed the above information, follow the steps below to submit an application for the 2025-2026 Disney Musicals in Schools: Stage Connect program.
- Click the link below to log in to the application portal. If you’d like to collaborate with your team and draft your responses in a word document, download it here and then copy and paste your application into the online form.
- Capture the requested video submission (see application for details).
- Commit your team to producing a school musical. Share the application draft with your school administration and proposed School Team members. You can save the application and return to the portal once this is completed.
- Complete your application. It is not complete until you’ve filled out the form entirely and submitted your video by the due date of Tuesday, July 1, 2025. You will receive a confirmation email.
Questions?
Contact us at DTG.StageConnect@Disney.com.