About the Center
Shaping the Stage for Life to Thrive in Dallas
The AT&T Performing Arts Center’s mission is to be a vibrant cultural hub that provides, operates and activates exceptional spaces for artists, artistic organizations and our community.
Planting the Seeds of Artistic and Economic Growth
The non-profit AT&T Performing Arts Center provides a public gathering place in Dallas that strengthens community and fosters creativity for North Texas by presenting top-quality live entertainment and hosting a range of innovative and impactful community and arts education programs that ensure greater access to the arts for students and families. When it opened in 2009, the Center helped complete the decades-old vision of a cultural district that would be a home for Dallas's major arts institutions, bring new life to downtown, spur economic development and create a place where people from every corner of Dallas could come and experience the transformative power of the arts. Here, you’ll discover a gathering space for everyone. We are here to entertain, to ignite creativity, and to strengthen the cultural bonds of our vibrant community. You’re invited to explore everything the Center has to offer.
Discover the ultimate destination for live performing arts
On its 10-acre downtown campus in the heart of the Dallas Arts District, the Center proudly hosts three of the nation’s most exceptional performance venues: the Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre, and Strauss Square, all set against the backdrop of the inviting Sammons Park.
Immerse yourself in a world of captivating live theater, opera, pop performances, ballet, comedy, thought-provoking speakers and the world’s finest dance troupes. Our stages serve as a launchpad for groundbreaking premieres and a nurturing ground for North Texas’ emerging artistic talent.
Our resident companies
The AT&T Performing Arts Center aims to be a leader in arts advocacy by listening to, empowering and uplifting its artists, organizations and communities. The Center is committed to the success of its award-winning resident companies: Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, The Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center and Texas Ballet Theater.
Our programming partners
The Center also enjoys relationships with programming partners Broadway Dallas and TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND to bring an unparalleled display of the world’s best entertainment to Dallas audiences.
Purpose, vision and mission
Our purpose: to shape the stage for life to thrive in Dallas.
Our vision: to be a catalyst for imaginative excellence that enables economic and artistic growth for Dallas.
Our mission: We are a vibrant cultural hub that provides, operates and activates exceptional spaces for artists, artistic organizations and our community.
Our commitments:
- We operate responsibly: Serve as dutiful stewards for our campus and sustainably fulfill our mission
- We value artists: Bring innovative, relevant and distinctive performances to our spaces and ensure the success of our Resident Companies and partners
- We care for our communities: Be a leader in arts advocacy; listen to, empower, and uplift our artists, artistic organizations, and communities
- We deliver quality: Ensure every aspect of the customer experience is enriching, impactful, and memorable
- We inspire the next generation: Cultivate the future of the arts through impactful arts education and community engagement programs
- We are inclusive: Welcome and celebrate the histories, identities, and experiences of our audiences
- We energize the city: Strengthen the vibrancy of the Dallas Arts District and make Dallas a better place
Our core values:
- Achievement Focused – Committed to the advancement and cultivation of the performing arts in Dallas
- Community Minded – Actively fostering and participating in meaningful community interactions
- Customer Service Driven – Dedicated to the service of internal and external constituents so that all want to return
- Flexible – Willing to change to achieve results
2023 Highlights
311,080
Total attendance as the rebound from the pandemic continues. This marks a 22% increase over the previous year.
1,284
New donors to the Annual Fund.
47
Sold-out shows, including resident companies.
43%
Ethnic diversity among our Board of Directors.
Education and community engagement
The Center is committed to cultivating the future of the arts through impactful arts education and community engagement programs.
Through a range of donor- and sponsor-supported programs each year, thousands of students explore the arts, and our community programs help ensure access to the arts for Dallas families who have been culturally underserved.
