the youth performance festival!

The Youth Performance Festival is a collaborative program of Play Incubation Collective and the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley, in partnership with Make-It Springfield. Now in its 6th year, YPF is a FREE opportunity for youth artists ages 8-18 to create original performance pieces with the guidance of mentor artists in the fields of music, dance, theater, poetry/spoken word, video/animation, and more. YPF centers the creative agency of young artists, and is committed to supporting them as they discover their own creative processes. For YPF 2025, we are partnering with Make-It Springfield for the second year to offer a Springfield-based youth cohort in addition to the Northampton cohort as part of the long term goal to expand YPF in Western Mass. YPF is an outstanding festival experience that warms hearts and inspires creativity in audience members of all ages!

In order to participate in YPF, all you need to do is fill out a REGISTRATION FORM and come to the 1st session on Sat Dec 7th. Registration will be open between Nov 8th - Dec 8th.

YPF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

YPF 2025 Schedule:

Sat Dec 7: 10-10:30 Info Session Springfield, 10:30-12 Session 1 Springfield

2:30-4:30 Session 1 Northampton, 4:30-5:30 Info Session for new families

*Info Sessions are mainly designed for new families to learn more about YPF and ask questions, but returning families are also welcome to attend

Sat Dec 14: 10-12 Session 2 Springfield

2:30-4:30 Session 2 Northampton

Sat Jan 4: 10-12 Session 3 Springfield

2:30-4:30 Session 3 Northampton

Sat Jan 11: 10-12 Session 4 Springfield

2:30-4:30 Session 4 Northampton

Sat Jan 18: 10-12 Session 5 Springfield

1:30-4:30 Session 5 Northampton

Sat Jan 25: 10-1 Session 6 Springfield

1:30-4:30 Session 6 Northampton

Sat Feb 1: 10-1 Session 7 Springfield

1:30-4:30 Session 7 and Tech Northampton

Thurs Feb 6: 4-7pm Dress Rehearsal Cast A, Northampton Center for the Arts

Fri Feb 7: 4-7pm Dress Rehearsal Cast B, Northampton Center for the Arts

Sat Feb 8: Performances at the Northampton Center for the Arts 1pm Cast A, 4pm CAST B

Sun Feb 9: Performances at the Northampton Center for the Arts 1pm Cast B, 4pm CAST A

Questions? Email sarah@playincubation.org.

The Youth Performance Festival is a FREE program for youth artists, and mentor artists are compensated fairly for their work. We could not do this without the support of our community, and donations are gratefully accepted throughout the year.

Are you interested in sponsoring YPF as a business or an individual? We need your support! Please contact Kelly Silliman at kelly@nohoarts.org for more information. (All other inquiries, please email Sarah Marcus at sarah@playincubation.org.)

For individual donors, please note YPF in the memo line of your donation!

Donate via credit card, debit, or PayPal

Donate Via Network for Good