Community Outreach

We partner with like-minded organizations to make our community stronger

Over forty years, we have cultivated many rewarding relationships with neighboring institutions.

Birmingham Children’s Theatre (BCT)

In 2016 a Jazz Hall Inductee hosted a pre-show performance for the full run of BCT’s original stage production about jazz history in Birmingham, “Tuxedo Junction.” Children explored jazz instruments in a musical “petting zoo” and were introduced to the Jazz Hall’s educational programs. 7, 233 students participated.

Birmingham Cultural Alliance Partnership (BCAP)

This after school program connects 200 inner city youth and their families to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and its community partners. As a partner, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame hosted students for four weeks, during which students learned about the history of jazz and its culture. At the end of the program, students participated in a recreation of a jazz juke joint and performed jazz standards and Savoy style dance moves for an audience.

Birmingham Area Consortium For Higher Education (BACHE)

In partnership with Samford University, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame participated in a cultural passport program. Students with passports gained free access to participating arts institutions and received a stamp upon visiting. The program served to enhance learning outside the classroom.

Birmingham Museum of Art: Langston Hughes Project

This multidisciplinary project introduced students to Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz musicians, incorporating spoken word and video footage, brought Langston Hughes’ epic poem, “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz,” to life. Schools were given study guides and each presentation included a pre and post show discussion.

Alabama Dance Council & Abraham.In.Motion

As part of the Alabama Dance Council’s Festival of Dance, we sponsored two student workshops with American choreographer Kyle Abraham (abrahaminmotion.org). Held at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, the workshops explored storytelling though modern dance and were led by Abraham and his company. Abraham also performed his original, award-winning dance The Radio Show.