April 2-15, 2023
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
A showcase of creativity, innovation and collaboration
Each spring, UCF brings its best and brightest artists to Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a large-scale celebration of creativity. This year, UCF Celebrates the Arts turns the spotlight on the intersection of arts and technology, and showcases our students, faculty and alumni through dance, concerts, cabaret, lectures and discussions, film, chamber music, an expanded visual arts presence and more. Fantastic possibilities lie ahead at UCF Celebrates the Arts 2023!
Scheduled Events
Schedule is subject to change.
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Sunday, April 2, 2023, 12:00 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
National Young Composers Challenge
FREE! Hear Central Florida's finest musicians perform music written by the next generation of star composers for stage and screen.
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Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 5:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Architecture Showcase & Awards
FREE! A presentation by guest architect Brooks + Scarpa, featuring a tour of Steinmetz Hall and presentations from architecture students at UCF, UF, and Valencia.
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Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 6:00 p.m. • Online
“Where Bright Thoughts Like Rivers Flow”
FREE! This virtual presentation by Emily Legg will illustrate the participatory nature of Indigenous storytelling and the ways this serves as a lived and embodied act that builds and sustains a community of knowledge-makers across time and place.
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Thursday, April 6, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Book Discussion: When the World Turned Upside Down
FREE! Over the past five years, the world has witnessed several "unimaginables" about which the author, Luis Martínez-Fernández, felt compelled to write.
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Thursday, April 6, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF Symphony Orchestra: When in Rome
UCF musicians perform orchestral classics and excerpts from a new opera, conducted by Eric Jacobsen, music director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Friday, April 7, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
First Look and Discussion of War Unfolding
FREE! “War correspondence is ‘America’s great undiscovered literature.’” – Andrew Carroll
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April 7 – April 8, 2023 • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
UCF Opera presents Speed Dating Tonight!
Under the direction of Thomas Potter and Robin Jensen, UCF Opera performs Speed Dating Tonight! by Michael Ching.
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Friday, April 7, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Swingin’ and Singin’ with the Flying Horse Big Band
Join UCF’s chart-topping Flying Horse Big Band for an evening of music.
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 11:00 a.m. • DeVos Family Room
Theatre for Very Young Audiences: The Day I Danced with Dinosaurs
Get ready to party, because everyone knows dinosaurs love to dance!
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 1:00 p.m. • Off-Site
Workshop: "With More Than Words: Exploring Material Rhetorics and Social Change"
Curious about what quilting, activists' speeches, writing, and truth have in common?
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 2:00 p.m. • Walt Disney Theater
TECH-nique: A Dance Concert
This dance concert showcases the incredible talents of students, alumni and faculty choreographers and dancers.
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 5:00 p.m. • Seneff Arts Plaza
Creative Clash
FREE! Armed with markers, students and alumni from the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design race against the clock to create artwork in front of a crowd.
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Graphic Design & Experimental Animation Showcase
FREE! A showcase of works by graduating seniors in the Emerging Media BFA, Graphic Design and Experimental Animation tracks!
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
National Choir Festival Concert
Artistic journeys start with education!
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Inspired: An Evening of Chamber Music for Strings, Piano and Clarinet
The UCF Pegasus String Quartet and faculty from the School of Performing Arts presents Inspired, a concert featuring works for piano, clarinet and strings.
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Monday, April 10, 2023, 6:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
REALity of ARTificial Intelligence
FREE! What is AI, or Artificial Intelligence? What’s the connection between AI and art, and how does that challenge our values around creativity and content? It’s legal, but is it ethical?
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Monday, April 10, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Brassapalooza
The UCF brass student studios, Quintets and faculty perform a joint concert.
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Monday, April 10, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF Percussion Ensemble
This concert will feature performances by the UCF Percussion Ensemble and guest artist line upon line percussion in a thrilling and dynamic showcase of percussion music.
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Project Spotlight presents Race to Infinity
Project Spotlight presents Race to Infinity, a play that unpacks Sara's shaky upbringing in a Latin household and struggle to find her worth when faced with expectations that seem impossible to reach.
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF New Music Ensemble presents /ˈhɑː.mə.foʊn/
The UCF New Music Ensemble and the UCF composition studio present an evening of world-premiere music exploring the ambiguity and richness of language. Guest ensemble line upon line percussion will join UCF’s finest contemporary performers for this unique and intriguing performance.
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Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 8:00 a.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Music for All UCF-Orlando Band Invitational presented by Excelcia Music Publishing
The Music for All UCF-Orlando Band Invitational is a unique opportunity for young musicians to improve their skills and gain valuable insights from experienced educators.
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Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band Concert
The University of Central Florida's top two auditioned ensembles, the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band, present an evening of music by some of today’s most impactful composers.
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Thursday, April 13, 2023, 6:30 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Knight to Shine: A Musical Theatre Showcase
The spotlight is on the graduating musical theatre students as they take the stage for an evening of cabaret style performances!
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Thursday, April 13, 2023, 6:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Mind Matters: New Plays for Teens
FREE! During the 2022-23 school year, Theatre UCF, Orlando Repertory Theatre, UCF Department of Psychology and Orange County Public Schools teamed up with playwrights around the nation to create twelve new plays for high school students to explore mental health and wellness, supported by curriculum for use in the theatre classroom.
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Thursday, April 13, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Faith, Hope and Love: UCF Choirs
UCF’s singers, including the UCF Chamber Singers, SoAl and TeBa choruses, University Singers, and UCF Community Choir, share faith, hope and love through song.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:00 a.m. • Walt Disney Theater
Inclusive Knights Concert Series Featuring the UCF Concert Band
FREE! The UCF Concert Band provides an entertaining musical journey for people of all abilities and needs, introducing different creatures and animals, while music education students serve as guides to the experience.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 6:00 p.m. • Della Phillips Grand Lobby
UCF Celebrates the Arts Alumni Social
Alumni, you're invited to join us for a special cocktail reception that will allow alumni to view and experience all the exhibits and immersive experiences offered!
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Film: The Biggest Dream
FREE! Experience the legacy of the Arecibo Observatory from the small island of Puerto Rico, past near-Earth asteroids, and to the deepest regions of space.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Writers Go Wild!
FREE! Writers Go Wild! showcases the work and talent of the Spring 2023 graduating students of UCF’s creative writing MFA graduate program.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Reach for the Stars: UCF Alumni Showcase
Where are they now? Alumni from UCF’s musical theatre program (and a few special guests!) return to UCF to share their professional journeys and sing some Broadway favorites.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 9:00 a.m. • Seneff Arts Plaza
Play! A WUCF Salute to Fred Rogers
FREE! Drop in and play, it’s your job today!
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 9:30 a.m. • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
WONDERLAND: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure
FREE! Venture down the rabbit hole with us!
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 11:00 a.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Home of the Brave – Theatre for Young Audiences
The concept of home can mean a lot to different people: it can be a person, or family, it can be a house or location; and sometimes, it can feel like an unreachable desire in the heart of someone who just wants to belong somewhere.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 1:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
PBS Kids! A Conversation with Sonia Manzano
FREE! Join us for a conversation with actress and author Sonia Manzano as she discusses her life and career ranging from Sesame Street to Alma’s Way and gives a “behind-the-scenes” take on some of your favorite PBS Kids shows!
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 2:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Art and Incarceration
FREE! UCF’s Florida Prison Education Project hosts an art exhibition and one-hour panel discussion on the value of arts-based prison education.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 2:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
A Conversation with Judy Woodruff
FREE! Veteran broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff joins WUCF to share her successful career in broadcasting and how the journalism field has changed over the past few decades.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 4:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Behind-the-Scenes with PBS MASTERPIECE
FREE! Join WUCF for a conversation with Susanne Simpson, executive producer of the iconic PBS drama series MASTERPIECE.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 5:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Character Animation and Animation/Visual Effects Premieres
FREE! Enjoy a series of award-winning short, animated films from students in the graduate and undergraduate programs in the School of Visual Arts and Design.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • Walt Disney Theater
Broadway's Brightest Lights
Broadway’s Brightest Lights shines the spotlight on some of the best and brightest talents of today! Curated and conducted by Luke Frazier, the evening features brand new arrangements performed by The American Pops Orchestra.
Ongoing Events & Exhibits
Additional event information coming soon!
Schedule is subject to change.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Character Animation Posters
A collection of work created by Emerging Media BFA – Character Animation track students for the 3D animated short films "Frostbyte" and "Superstitious."
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Narrative Sculpture: Visual Storytelling
View artwork created by students in Narrative Sculpture courses during the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
ART & AUTISM: Creatures of Imagination
Presented by the UCF-Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UCF CARD), this exhibit features the broad as well as exciting creativity and talent embedded in the autism spectrum.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Dr. Hologram
Researchers are collaborating with the arts and humanities to showcase how this hologram patient simulation tool might have an impact on the arts.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Costume Display: Highlights from the Harriett Lake Collection
This exhibit will feature some of Lake’s most memorable looks from well-known designers to custom-made designs.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Rain Barrels from OUC’s Water Color Project
Rain barrels designed by local students as part of OUC’s Water Color Project, which teaches the importance of water conservation through art, will be on display throughout the center.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Bringing Down the House
Created by teams of students in 3D Design Fundamentals classes, this one-of-a-kind sculpture installation celebrates the Dancing Houses of Amsterdam.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
2022 Creative Clash
View the pieces created at UCF Celebrates the Arts 2022, themed on fantasy and fable, on display in the center throughout the festival!
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
2+2+2 Architecture Showcase
Showcase of work from the 2+2+2 architecture program featuring student work from students enrolled in UCF, UF and Valencia.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Jewel of Parramore: The Wells' Built Hotel
This video produced by the Honors Advanced Documentary Workshop in 2022 serves as an orientation for visitors to the Wells'Built Museum of African American History and Culture in downtown Orlando.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Artful Moments
Explore a selection of curated clips, interviews, photos, exhibitions, events and more from the School of Visual Arts and Design.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Perception: MFA Studio Art and Design Showcase
View a collection of selected works from students in the Emerging Media MFA, Studio Art & Design track!
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Artwork from UCF Character Animators’ Sketch Club
View a selection of artwork and sketches from members of the UCF Character Animators' Sketch Club! This exhibit illustrates how these artists visually process their observations from world to page.
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Ongoing • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
Art from the Inside
This exhibition presents a selection of work from incarcerated students taking classes with UCF faculty as part of the Florida Prison Education Project.
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Ongoing • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
UCF Animation Shorts
Select animation shorts and reels from each of the animation tracks at UCF will be shown before various events throughout the week!
Show Your Support
UCF Celebrates the Arts is committed to keeping all performances and exhibits free or low cost for the community. And with your help, we can do so every year.
About the Festival
UCF Celebrates the Arts, a festival showcasing creativity, innovation and collaboration from Orlando’s hometown university, occurs annually at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in April. The event is hosted by the UCF College of Arts and Humanities and features the faculty and students from the School of Performing Arts and the School of Visual Arts and Design, as well as work from the humanities departments and other units from around the university. Partnership, one of UCF’s long-standing values, is brought front-and-center at UCF Celebrates the Arts, with many events showcasing the collaborative nature of the university and demonstrating how UCF is both in and of the Central Florida community.
UCF Celebrates the Arts is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.