The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute Programs:
The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute encompasses three distinct arts education divisions; producing, presenting, and instruction. Each division goes far beyond the walls of the Hoffman Institute into schools, community centers, hospitals, specialty residencies and other arts centers throughout Pinellas County, the State of Florida and the east coast of the United States of America.

PRODUCING DIVISION

INSTRUCTION DIVISION

Preparatory Classes are in sequential learning tracks to develop the participant’s knowledge and skills in a specific art form to prepare for college study or career. For ages 6-18

Exploratory Classes give the participant the opportunity to explore, discover and experience the fun of performing arts.

Private Lessons are a very valuable component to the Preparatory track.  Private lessons foster the systematic development of the participant’s skill set in a given area.

Bridge Performance Classes held in the summer, are two to four weeks in length for 30-36 hours a week. These intensives allow the participants to discover their own motivation for participating in the arts, enabling us to guide them toward exploratory or preparatory classes.

PASSport to the Arts is an on school site arts infusion program. Utilizing the performing and literary arts as a methodology and pedagogy for learning, school environment, instruction and leadership, all with the goal of improved individual and school achievement.

Workshops  Pre-performance lectures, workshops and demonstrations.

PRESENTING DIVISION

Bank of America SchoolTime Series:  The Bank of America SchoolTime Series provides quality arts performances for all schools in the Tampa Bay area. 

Artists“On The Road”:  The finest of local artists available for booking. Performances, workshops and residencies available.

Family Theater Series:  A series offering affordable weekend entertainment for the entire family presented by professional, nationally known youth and family artists.

Evening at the Murray: A performance series in an intimate setting providing exchange and dialogue between the artist and the audience.

Arts in Medicine program Morton Plant Mease Hospitals: This program explores the role arts and artists play in the medical field to stimulate a positive environment for car givers, patients and patient’s families and friends.

The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute Artistic Philosophy:

The arts are essential to human development and arts instruction is essential to the arts. The measure of our culture lives in the art we value and the passing it on to our children. Through the artistic process and the development of artistic expression we guide students, artists and the community to an awareness of the human experience. Arts instruction is the connection and the pathway to the development of future artists, audiences and supporters of the arts.

The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute
Arts Education Philosophy:

The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute provides a wide range of experiences that benefit and impact the individual opening the door to a passion for high quality life-long learning. The faculty and staff are committed to providing professional guidance through exploration or mastery of the performing arts, ensuring that they are accessible and inclusionary. It is our desire to meet the artistic needs of the community at all levels, ignite the creative spirit in each individual, inspire an understanding of humanity and foster an appreciation, value and preservation of the arts.

The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute Arts Education Goals:
The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute through high quality, accessible and inclusionary arts infusion programming~

~ensures high quality arts engagements in arts development, instruction, producing and presenting

~engages our community in the development, instruction and presentation of the performing arts

~ secures accessible performing arts programming

~imparts to the community through artistic exploration, discovery, experience and mastery the joy and impact the arts and its essence brings to the human condition.

Since the beginnings of Ruth Eckerd Hall, the founding leadership with the assistance of its generous supporters, was committed not only to bringing the finest entertainment to the area but also to providing educational opportunities within and by means of the performing arts. This commitment and dedication continues today.
When Ruth Eckerd Hall opened in 1983, presenting programming for youth and families, and a variety of classes, including master classes with visiting artists, was a key component of the Hall. The community response was overwhelming and quickly demonstrated a need for an arts education program in Pinellas county.

This was overwhelmingly passed by the board of directors and the PACT Institute was born. For the next 16 years, the PACT Institute served the community through presentations, classes, community arts programs.  With the creation of Eckerd Theater Company in 1988, the center became a theater producer with significant impact in theater for young audiences. Statewide touring began in 1991 and national touring began in 1998.
Throughout this period strong community, corporate and educational partnerships and collaborations continued to strengthen and grow the education department.  Once again, in 1999, because of the community’s demand for arts education, the board of directors determined that a new education facility was needed. 
In December 2002, new construction expanded the facilities, bringing more classrooms and rehearsal studios adjacent to Ruth Eckerd Hall at the Richard B. Baumgardner Center for the Performing Arts. Renamed in honor of Marcia P. Hoffman, a founder of Ruth Eckerd Hall and its education program, the expansion of the Institute was made possible in part through the generosity of the Hoffman family.  The Institute officially opened in February 2003.