Dear OCSA Community,

As we celebrate 35 wonderful years at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) and look toward our next chapter, school leadership continues to explore new ways to best serve aspiring artist-scholars in the community. Not all students who are interested in attending OCSA have extensive training or meaningful exposure to arts education. In addition, some students may wish to explore an education that focuses on the role of creative arts in culture and society, as well as the business side of the arts – with less focus on training as a performing artist themselves. The school is always proactively seeking to develop as many pathways as possible for more students to be successful and have a home at OCSA, no matter their prior training, experience, or interest in the arts.
With this goal in mind, we could not be more thrilled to announce the debut of OCSA's brand-new
ARTS & ENTERPRISE CONSERVATORY
Launching in the 2022-2023 school year, the Arts & Enterprise Conservatory will be a multidisciplinary program that offers students an opportunity to explore a variety of foundational art disciplines, with particular emphasis on the business of the creative industries.

Do you know a student interested in a career in arts entrepreneurship? Do they aspire to be a talent manager or television producer? Or maybe their calling is running a major auction hour or serving as a museum curator? If a student is eager to receive an education in the business of the arts and other pathways in the creative industries, including opportunities for pre-professional internships and capstone projects, then Arts & Enterprise may be the perfect conservatory for them! 

OCSA has always been committed to serving the community, and we are excited to embark on this journey that enables us to meet two important needs:
  • Providing fundamental arts training for youth with limited exposure or access to the arts who are passionate about attending OCSA
  • Serving students who are interested in a pathway or career in the creative industries and the business side of the arts with a unique, specialized curriculum and pre-professional opportunities

In addition to serving the community, we feel confident that the addition of this conservatory will greatly enhance the school experience for our current families, since for the first time, OCSA will be able to provide high-quality education on the business of arts and related professions. Students in existing conservatories will have the opportunity to collaborate with Arts & Enterprise Conservatory students in new and exciting ways.

Though the curriculum for the Arts & Enterprise Conservatory is still being finalized, we are delighted about this new opportunity and will share more details as we approach the start of the 2022-2023 school year. In the meantime, click here to learn more about the Arts & Enterprise Conservatory. 

Lastly, as you may know, our first Preview Day of the school year is scheduled for this coming Saturday, October 2. If you know of any prospective families who may be interested in learning more about OCSA, including our new Arts & Enterprise Conservatory, please encourage them to sign up to attend an upcoming Preview Day at www.ocsarts.net/PreviewDay.

Thank you for your support, and I hope to see you at an OCSA event in the near future!

All the best,

Teren Shaffer
President & CEO
Orange County School of the Arts