Queensland Arts Council’s Ontour inschools, the state’s largest not-for-profit provider of live arts education, has launched a highly engaging 2010 season that will take students’ imaginations to exciting places with performing arts.

After 47 years of providing a crucial service all over the state, the program has faced significant financial challenges to continue to bring live arts not only to metropolitan areas, but also to as many of the 40,000 students in small, remote and regional Queensland schools as possible.

Ontour inschools relies on government funding and philanthropic income to provide equity of access to live arts for all Queensland children, regardless of their geographical location.

Queensland Arts Council is committed to touring to remote and isolated communities and schools. In order to provide live arts access for smaller schools, Ontour inschools has set up a subsidy scheme providing support for schools under 100 students to receive performances in 2010.

The 2010 Ontour inschools season features some of the state’s leading artists and performing arts companies, including Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, Harvest Rain Theatre Company, Australian Stage Magician of the Year, Richard Scholes, and expert puppeteer and three-time Queensland Entertainer of the Year, David Hamilton.

Providing more opportunities for students to wholly engage with performing arts and unpack its benefits, the program also includes artists in residence, workshops, master classes and shows on demand. Ontour inschools is quality assured by and partly funded with assistance from Education Queensland.

To find out what drives one of the longest running and most far-reaching school touring programs in the country, read more or make a donation at http://inschools.qac.org.au/ or phone (07) 3846 7477.