Dallas ISD Visual Performing Arts Department thrives in the midst of a challenging year

Despite all of the challenges this past year has brought to students and learning, the Dallas ISD Visual amp; Performing Arts Department has found innovative ways to thrive in the midst of the pandemic and beyond.

“We are taking COVID lemons and making lemonade,” said Tim Linley, executive director of Visual amp; Performing Arts.

At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, Linley’s team set out a lofty goal of 100,000 touchpoints with Dallas ISD students. The Visual amp; Performing Arts Department has more than quadrupled that goal, reaching 485,000 touchpoints this year.

A touchpoint represents an individual student experiencing an event, performance or arts opportunity that was specifically facilitated by the central Visual and Performing Arts Department of Dallas ISD.

A big highlight from this year was Dallas ISD being awarded the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Best Communities for Music Education Award for the second year in a row.

Despite all of the challenges this past year has brought, Dallas ISD’s teachers and students did not let COVID stop them from creating and performing. Students continued to compete in UIL, and every middle school participated in All-City Theatre Junior Festival, recording their students individually to create an ensemble performance.

“I am so blown away by the art our students produced this year,” said Linley.

Linley’s team plans to leverage everything they have learned from this past year and apply it moving forward. This includes hosting a variety of virtual summer camps for students to continue learning and creating. The fastest camp to fill up was their first-ever virtual Mariachi camp.

To follow or learn more about the Visual amp; Performing Arts Department:

• Website: dallasisd.org/vpa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dallasisdvpa
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dallasisdvpa
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallas_isd_vpa/