WATERVILLE, MAINE—In less than four years, arts nonprofit Waterville Creates has provided in excess of $250,000-worth of free arts experiences for children and teens through its Youth Arts Access Fund, or YAAF.
Anyone aged 18 or under can activate YAAF to cover some or all of the price of admission to any of Waterville Creates’ programs, no questions asked, no proof of need necessary. For an $8 movie ticket at the Maine Film Center or a $250 registration for a weeklong theatre camp at the Waterville Opera House, or anything in between, YAAF works the same.
Since its launch in March 2022, the program has blossomed into a cornerstone of the Waterville nonprofit’s work and mission.
Identifying the Need
In 2022, Waterville Creates—like its namesake city—was in a period of transition. The arts nonprofit’s programming through the Waterville Opera House, Maine Film Center, and the soon-to-be-renamed Ticonic Gallery + Studios (then Common Street Arts) was rebounding post-COVID. The coming months would see a revitalized Maine International Film Festival, major performers grace the stage at the Opera House, expanded clay studio programming and gallery exhibitions, and—the biggest change of all—a new home for all these entities in the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, opening December 2022 in downtown Waterville.
That kind of growth opens lots of exciting avenues for a small nonprofit like Waterville Creates, but it was always important to the organization’s leaders to ensure that growth and change did not mean losing sight of their core mission and values.
That mission, first and foremost, is embodied on a slogan emblazoned across WC’s website and print materials: arts experiences for all.
The art was a given, but the “for all” is a little trickier.
Waterville Creates President + CEO Shannon Haines was well versed in the benefits of arts education for youth, but also keenly aware of the obstacles that existed in her community.
“Numerous studies have concluded that young people who participate in the arts experience a wide range of positive outcomes,” Haines said, “From improved physical and emotional well-being and feelings of belonging to increased civic engagement and greater academic success—but we also know that not all youth have equal access to arts opportunities.”
The Impact
With the local economy still reeling from lockdown, Haines and her team wanted to make sure that the cost of a ticket never posed a barrier of entry to any youth. This felt especially vital in a city where over a quarter of the population lived in poverty and where the median household income is 35% below the Maine state median, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
And so, in March 2022, Waterville Creates established the Youth Arts Access Fund.
Since then, and especially since Schupf Arts opened at the end of 2022, YAAF has grown wildly popular. Waterville Creates offers around 700 YAAF-eligible programs per year, with the number of offerings steadily increasing year over year. Young visitors to 93 Main Street have activated these funds over 6,000 times to a total of more than $250,000, an average of $1,300 a month in 2025.
“We see YAAF in action every day—teens meeting at the art center to see a classic film, young makers finding their creative voices in After School Art Club, families who are now able to invite grandparents to join them for a musical at the Opera House because YAAF makes it more affordable,” said Haines. “It is a total delight to see the ways that YAAF expands opportunities for our community to enjoy shared experiences in the arts.”
YAAF usage is especially popular at the Waterville Opera House, where families can use it to help cover tickets to theatrical productions like The Nerd and Once Upon a Mattress, concerts and comedy acts, and theatre camps. General attendance soared at the Opera House in 2025 as the WOH team presented four theatrical productions and over 50 concerts, comedy, and variety acts.
“I’m incredibly proud of our ability to provide this resource,” said WOH Executive Director Michelle Sweet. “There are few things that make my heart happier than to see families share the incredible gift of experiencing live performances at our historic venue together without stressing the family budget. It is impossible to have an appreciation of the arts if they are not accessible to you. I’m thrilled to be growing the next generation of arts enthusiasts with the Youth Arts Access Fund.”
Community Support
YAAF, described by Maine Arts Commission Chair Bob Keyes as presenting “a national model” for youth access to arts, represents a major cornerstone of Waterville Creates’ mission and values, and one that the community particularly believes in. As one local teen put it following an event at Waterville Creates, “The Youth Arts Access Fund has been a huge help, and I just think it boosts community.”
The Waterville Creates community has rallied around this initiative to make sure younger audiences can continue to attend their favorite programs without obstacle. The fund has no formal budget or endowment: it is entirely supported by donations and corporate sponsorships, as well as a portion of all WC ticket sales.
Special note is due to major support from the Colby Center for the Arts and Humanities, the T-Mobile Foundation, Dirigo Wealth Management, One River CPAs, Waterville Area Women’s Club, Northern Light Inland Hospital, Central Maine Power, First National Bank, GoNet Speed, and Skowhegan Savings Bank. In 2024, all proceeds from two David Byrne appearances with his nonprofit Reasons to Be Cheerful at the Waterville Opera House and Maine Film Center went directly to YAAF, injecting around $20,000 into the fund.
Looking ahead, January 2026 already has around three dozen YAAF-eligible programs on the books for Waterville Creates, with more regular-run releases at the Maine Film Center yet to be set in stone. As the organization continuously expands its programmatic offerings in the performing arts, film, clay, education, the visual arts, and more, local and visiting youth have more opportunities than ever before to explore new creative experiences. The Youth Arts Access Fund ensures they will have those opportunities no matter what.
“YAAF is one of the initiatives that I am personally most proud of because it removes cost as barrier,” Haines said. “It is a clear and measurable demonstration of Waterville Creates’ commitment to our mission of arts experiences for all.”
Learn more about the Youth Arts Access Fund at watervillecreates.org/yaaf.
About Waterville Creates
The mission of Waterville Creates is arts experiences for all. Offering diverse programming for all ages, Waterville Creates is building a thriving, connected, and equitable community through shared experiences in the arts. For more information about Waterville Creates, visit watervillecreates.org.