Theater & Performing Arts Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Performing-arts programs include pre-professional summer intensives, youth companies, and national festivals in theater, musical theater, and dance.

These programs double as portfolio and audition preparation for BFA-track applicants.

33 verified programs match this page; 11 of the featured listings are completely free; 2 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Young Playwrights Festival — Young Playwrights Inc.: Showcase your talent in this free playwriting competition for high schoolers (Grades 10-12). Develop creative skills, gain theater experience, and boo
• Yale Summer Conservatory for Actors — Yale School of Drama: Develop advanced acting skills in Yale’s intensive summer program for high school students. Build confidence, gain hands-on experience, and stand out
• Pacific Northwest Ballet School Summer Course — Pacific Northwest Ballet: Summer ballet training with Pacific Northwest Ballet faculty. Classical technique and repertoire in Seattle.
• Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Lit Fest — Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, Inc.: Annual New Orleans festival celebrating Tennessee Williams with literary panels, performances, and student writing opportunities.
• FAA High School Competition — University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts: Engage in a dynamic arts competition for high schoolers in grades 9-11. Explore architecture, music, and design while boosting college applications. F
• NYU Tisch School of the Arts Summer Programs — New York University: Discover hands-on summer programs in film, theater, and dance for high schoolers in grades 10-12. Build skills, gain college-ready experience, and pur
• English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition — English-Speaking Union: Showcase your acting skills in a hybrid Shakespeare competition for grades 9-12. Gain performance experience, enhance college applications, and compet
• International Thespian Festival — Educational Theatre Association: Showcase your theater talents at the International Thespian Festival! Compete, attend workshops, and gain hands-on experience to enhance your skills a
• Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp — Stagedoor Manor: Dive into theater at this premier summer program for grades 10-18. Build performance skills, gain hands-on experience, and enhance college application
• Youth America Grand Prix — YAGP: Compete in the world’s largest student ballet competition! Showcase your talent, earn scholarships, and boost your college applications. Open to grade
• Odyssey of the Mind — Creative Competitions, Inc.: Join Odyssey of the Mind, a hands-on competition for high school students to boost creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills—perfect for colleg
• Syracuse University Summer College — Syracuse University: Summer college at Syracuse University with 70+ courses available in-person, online, and hybrid formats.
• Sarah Lawrence Pre-College Programs — Sarah Lawrence College: Liberal arts and creative writing pre-college programs at Sarah Lawrence College near New York City.
• St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra — St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: The SLSO's auditioned training orchestra of 100 young musicians ages 12-22, founded in 1970 by Leonard Slatkin. Members perform at Powell Hall; annual
• School of American Ballet Summer Course — School of American Ballet: The five-week summer program of New York City Ballet's official school at Lincoln Center, for intermediate and advanced dancers ages 12-18. Admission
• Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestras — Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School: Five-level youth orchestra program of the RI Philharmonic Music School, from beginning strings through an advanced Symphony Orchestra. 2026-27 season
• Houston Ballet Academy Summer Intensive — Houston Ballet Academy: Houston Ballet Academy's five-week summer intensive for dancers 12 and up: six to eight hours of classes a day, six days a week. 2027 in-person auditi
• Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies — Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS): Eleven orchestras serving 900+ Twin Cities musicians from beginners to pre-professionals, with weeknight rehearsals September-May. Summer recruiting a
• Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras — Columbus Symphony: Four-tier youth orchestra program of the Columbus Symphony, Junior Strings through the grades 9-12 Youth Orchestra, with weekly rehearsals and coachin
• California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) — California State Summer School for the Arts: California's state-funded four-week summer arts school: ~500 students in grades 8-12 train in theater, dance, film, animation, music, writing, and vis
• Boston Ballet School Summer Dance Program — Boston Ballet School: Boston Ballet School's four-week residential summer intensive for dancers ages 12-18, with auditions held in about 29 North American cities each Janua
• Young Actors Summer Institute — Trinity Repertory Company: Trinity Rep's summer theater intensives in Providence: week-long, full-day sessions in acting, improv, and devising for teens, taught by the Tony-winn
• NAACP ACT-SO — NAACP: The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics: a year-round achievement program where students in grades 9-12 compete in
• ASC Theatre Camp — American Shakespeare Center: Residential Shakespeare intensive in Staunton, VA for actors ages 13-19: three-week sessions culminating in one-hour early modern plays, with access t
• Teen Ensemble — Alliance Theatre: Tuition-free, audition-based season-long company at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre for rising juniors and seniors — monthly workshops with professional ar
• New York Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) — New York State Education Department: Tuition-free residential arts summer program for New York State high schoolers, offering intensive training in dance, music, theater, film, and visual
• AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) Pre-College Program — AMDA: Pre-college performing arts program at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy for aspiring actors, dancers, and musicians.
• August Wilson Monologue Competition — True Colors Theatre Company: Performance competition of August Wilson's monologues.
• CMU Drama Pre-College — Carnegie Mellon University: Drama program at CMU's top-ranked School of Drama. Conservatory-style training in acting and production.
• Kennedy Center VSA Playwright Discovery Program — Kennedy Center: Unique playwriting competition for high school students with disabilities. Develop creative skills, gain recognition, and enhance your college applica

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