Children in winter clothing walk on a paved area near a yellow school bus, clutching their student tickets. Other school buses are parked in the background.

Student Matinees

Show Options

Fostering a Love for the Arts in Kansas City Youth

a group of children and adults sit in theater seats bathed in blue lighting. Some appear excited, raising their arms towards the stage, while others sit calmly.

Every year, 40,000 students visit the Kauffman Center to experience the performing arts through more than 35 student matinees.

These events including symphony performances, operas, concerts, dance programs and speaker series like Trailblazing Talks. Exploring the arts is a crucial component of a well-rounded education and inspiring young minds to discover their creative potential helps them to make a positive impact on the world around them.

Kauffman Center Programming
for Schools

Student matinees cultivate a connection to the arts in young people and the Kauffman Center is proud to host these events for Kansas City’s youth throughout the season.

Tickets for Kauffman Center Presents student matinees are offered at the reduced-price of $2 per ticket to school groups. Our current student matinee offerings are below.

A group of six young individuals stands indoors, smiling at the camera. Four of them are in the foreground, dressed casually, while two more are in the background, engaged in conversation. at the Kauffman Center.

Trailblazing Talks
Student Matinees in 2025

The Kauffman Center’s speaker series, Trailblazing Talks, features award-winning photographers, explorers, scientists, documentarians and more. Each one-hour presentation is illustrated by stunning imagery and gripping video footage shown on a 40-foot-by-22.5-foot screen in Muriel Kauffman Theatre. Afterward, students get up close and personal with the speaker during a brief audience Q&A session.

All Trailblazing Talks matinees are recommended for grades 6 – 12. Tickets are $2 per person.

Application for Schools

Application for Homeschools

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Michael Yamashita – Marco Polo: World’s Greatest Explorer
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025
10:30 a.m.

Join National Geographic photographer, Michael Yamashita as he follows in the footsteps of Marco Polo, the greatest Western explorer of all time. Relive his 13th Century odyssey along the Silk Road, from Italy through Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, all the way to China, and his epic voyage back across the South China Sea with stops in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.

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Beverly & Dereck Joubert – Saving Wildlife on the Brink
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025
10:30 a.m.

Hailing from South Africa, filmmakers Beverly Joubert, and her partner in work and life, Dereck Joubert, have been documenting wild Africa for more than three decades, shining light on Africa’s big cats, elephants and rhinos. On stage, they show the interdependence of wildlife and wild places, and the many ways they have stepped in to make a difference.

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Keith Ladzinski – Forces of Nature
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
10:30 a.m.

Whether dangling from ropes thousands of feet up to document interior Antarctica, storm chasing in Tornado Alley, trekking up Mount Everest, scaling ancient Redwoods or diving with wild alligators in the Florida Everglades, commercial storyteller Keith Ladzinski goes to the extreme to capture the moment. Journey to the farthest reaches of our planet in this sweeping look at nature and man.

This talk is part of the Vital Impacts Student Speaker Series, presented in collaboration with Changemaker Talent. These compelling talks blend storytelling with award-winning imagery to bring to life the biodiversity crisis and the people and programs working toward a sustainable future.

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Kobie Boykins – Beyond Earth: The Quest for Life
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
10:30 a.m.

Embark on a journey through more than two decades of space exploration with leading NASA Engineer Kobie Boykins. After working on all of the Mars Rover programs, Kobie has set his sights on his most ambitious mission to date–a circumnavigation of Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon. The goal? To find out if there is water under the icy crust. Where there’s water, there’s life. 

Partner Organization School Performances

Bus Transportation Assistance

The Kauffman Center’s Transportation Fund helps educators provide arts experiences to their students by eliminating or defraying bus costs.

Any school transporting students to a qualifying matinee or open rehearsal at the Kauffman Center can apply for a bus transportation allowance. Transportation Fund applications must be submitted at least five business days prior to attending an event at the Kauffman Center.

Apply Today

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