The Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville, North Carolina announces the 2017 Y.E.S. Emerging Artists Fund, a program to support young performers by providing scholarships for graduating high school seniors pursuing a career in the performing arts. A limited number of Emerging Artists Fund scholarships beginning at $1,000 each will be awarded to finalists during a special concert on May 5, 2017 featuring Free Planet Radio at the Diana Wortham Theatre. Participants may also have the opportunity to perform a segment of their work at this event.

“We are delighted to continue this program after launching it last season,” says Rae Geoffrey, Associate Director of Diana Wortham Theatre. “The Emerging Artists Fund scholarship can open doors for the next generation of performing artists in our community.”

Any student graduating from high school in 2017 may apply for the Emerging Artists Fund scholarship. Applicants must currently be permanent residents of Buncombe County, must intend to pursue a career in the performing arts, and must receive a recommendation from a teacher, instructor, or mentor.

The Emerging Artists Fund is an outgrowth of the Y.E.S. (Youth Education Scholarship) Fund, which was created to make it possible for underserved students to attend Diana Wortham Theatre school programming. Scholarships, made possible by private donors, cover the cost of admission and are available to students on a free or reduced lunch program. The Y.E.S. program expanded in 2015 to cover artist workshops in local schools and expanded in 2016 to cover the Emerging Artists Fund. Donations to the Y.E.S. Fund and its programs are accepted any time; more information at www.dwtheatre.com/Y-E-S-Fund.

To apply for an Emerging Artists Fund scholarship, students must complete the application, create an audition video, and obtain a recommendation from a teacher or mentor. Submit materials to Diana Wortham Theatre via email or mail by 5:00 p.m. January 27, 2017. Submission of an application does not guarantee an award.

Award winners should be present at the May 5, 2017 event with Free Planet Radio and any required rehearsals leading up to the performance. For more than a decade, Free Planet Radio has been bringing its innovative world-jazz-classical music blend to festivals, concert stages, and classrooms — and now to Diana Wortham Theatre’s Mainstage Series in a benefit performance for the Y.E.S. Fund. The band will work with the Y.E.S. Emerging Artist award winners to integrate and showcase the students and their talent into the May 5th performance.

Contact/Info: For more information on the Y.E.S. Emerging Artists Fund, visit www.dwtheatre.com/emerging-artists-fund or call the theatre at (828) 257-4530.