PSU and Oregon Children’s Theatre partner to expand arts access and career readiness

Portland State University and Oregon Children's Theatre announced today a new partnership, grounded in a shared commitment to education, creativity and community impact.

As they prepare to mount their joint production of "Gretel! The Musical," running February 25 - March 6, 2027, PSU and OCT have signed a memorandum of understanding to support a longer-term partnership, positioning Portland as a national model for collaboration between higher education and youth-centered performing arts organizations.

Under this partnership, the two organizations will work together to expand access to theater arts curriculum at all levels of education, while providing opportunities for creative growth and career development among students in PSU's College of the Arts and College of Education.

"Through our work in planning a potential new Performing Arts and Culture Center on the PSU campus, we've been going deep with local arts organizations, learning their needs and the needs of the broader performing arts industry in our region," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "This partnership is an excellent example of the support we can provide as a university to expand access to the arts and arts careers."

"Oregon Children's Theatre is humbled by the opportunity to partner with PSU during this critical and transformational moment for the arts and culture sector in Portland," said Jenn Hartmann Luck, producing artistic director at OCT. "This partnership with PSU is in direct alignment with our strategic plan, and we are honored to collaborate with an organization that truly cares about this community and its young people. This relationship will forge new pathways for both our organizations, deepening the work and the impact we have in our communities across the state."

A focus for the five-year collaboration will include alignment of PSU's academic programs with OCT's educational and artistic practice through potential development of new curricular paths in the area of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). The partners are committed to exploring development of outreach, touring and community-based programming; additional joint productions and creative projects integrating students, faculty and OCT artists; and shared use of facilities and residency opportunities.

"Our Theater Arts program is already benefiting from the excitement and momentum generated by our partnership with OCT," said Leroy E. Bynum, Jr., dean of the College of the Arts. "And our highly anticipated co-production of 'Gretel! The Musical' coming to Lincoln Performance Hall's stage in February is one such stunning example. Moreover, I'm thrilled that our collaboration will continue beyond this production into the future - benefiting our students and strengthening the future of theater in the Portland region."

The partnership will also enable academic research exploring the relationship between access to the arts and health and well-being in the development of youth. Applied learning opportunities - such as OCT internships and residencies for students within the College of the Arts and College of Education - will allow students to gain professional-level experiences in artistic and educational settings as part of their degree paths.

"PSU sees our work in TYA to be critical in training the next generation of arts educators and theatre professionals," Luck said. "OCT and PSU are both invested in strengthening career development in this field and we're excited to explore what is possible in the coming years."