PROGRAMS
2027 Schedule
April 6-9, 2027
Opening Night
Tuesday, April 6 at 7 PM
HPHS Auditorium
Student Sessions
Wednesday & Thursday, April 7 & 8
Art Night
Thursday, April 8 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM
HPHS Cafeteria
Dance Night
Friday, April 9 at 7 PM
HPHS Auditorium
Community Programs
Not only does our community generously fund the majority of our programming, but they are also invited to our creative and engaging evening programs - Opening Night, Art Night and Dance Night. Celebrating 60 years in 2027, Focus has become a renowned tradition for those who live here.
Opening Night
Focus on the Arts Opening Night generates excitement for the week with a uniquely programmed showcase of music and theatre artists for the community.
Focus 2025 kicked off with a spectacular evening of song and theater exploring the journey of the artist, featuring the work of some of our greatest American playwrights and composers. Opening Night showcased Broadway stars and professional musicians performing side by side with over 80 Highland Park High School students.
Program information for Opening Night 2027 is coming later this fall!
Tickets are required for Opening Night.
Art Night
Art Night features a diverse group of over 40 local professional artists and our HPHS Advanced Placement visual art students. Guests engage in community art-making and observe creative works in progress.
This free, biannual family-friendly event offered a unique hands-on opportunity to get creative for all ages.
Dance Night
Focus on the Arts Dance Night is not to be missed! Chicago's premier dance companies perform together on the same bill in our auditorium.
Past companies participating in Dance Night include: Cerqua Rivera, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Giordano, Hubbard Street, HPHS Collage, Visceral Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted, Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet, and more!
Program information for Dance Night 2027 is coming later this fall!
Tickets are required for Dance Night.
Student Sessions
Students at Focus have the unique opportunity to take two days off of their regular school schedules and register for over 300 workshops, performances, and masterclasses across a wide variety of topics! Students work alongside professional artists learning not only their craft but also the qualities of those who pursue their dreams with a sense of purpose.
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Past Sessions Include:
Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Green Architecture, School Design, Public Placemaking, Skyscaper Design, 3D Modeling, and more!
DANCE
Past Sessions Include:
Swing, Israeli, Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Bachata, Improv, Irish, Ballet, Salsa, Musical Theater, Aerial, Ballroom, Flamenco, Tap, and more!
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DIGITAL MEDIA & BROADCASTING
Past Sessions Include:
Sports Media, Photography, Documentaries, Directing, Casting, Radio & TV, Social Media, Video Game Design, Journalism, News, and more!
MUSIC
Past Sessions Include:
Jazz, Indo/African/Caribbean, String Quartet, Cabaret, Jam Bands, Conducting, Indie, A Capella, Percussion, Sound Baths, Folk, Beat Making, Blues, Opera, DJ’ing, and more!
SOCIAL IMPACT
Past Sessions Include:
Arts Activism, Dance as Resistance, Mental Health & Theater, Neurographic Doodling, Making a Movement, Anti-Semitism, Music & Healing, and more!
THEATRE ARTS
Past Sessions Include:
Accents & Dialogues, Improv, Voice Over, Storytelling, Stage Combat, Physical Theatre, Costume Design, Theatrical Makeup, Theatre Management, & more!
VISUAL ARTS
Past Sessions Include:
Letterpress, Mosaics, Screen Printing, Ceramics, Ikebana, Woodturning, Henna, Weaving, Origami, Indigenous Beading, Sketching, Photography, and more!
WRITING & JOURNALISM
Past Sessions Include: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Horror, News, Nonfiction, Poetry, Spoken Word, Sports Journalism, Storytelling, Web Comics, Zines & more!
FILM & TV
Past Sessions Include:
Documentaries, Animated Puppetry, Directing, Production, Scene Writing, Filmmaking, Casting, Extreme Reality TV, Breaking Into the Industry, and more!
STUDENT
SHOWCASE
Past Sessions Include:
Bands, Chamber Music, Choral Music, Classical Soloists, Comedy, Dance, Jazz Combos, Performance Art, Spoken Word, Storytelling, and more!