• ENROLLING AT THE SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS (SCPA) MARCH 2022 AUDITIONS APPLY TO GRADES 4-6 AND 8-12 ONLY!

    The School for Creative & Performing Arts (SCPA) is a K-12 pre-professional arts and academic college preparatory school. SCPA affords students a unique educational opportunity, where arts and academics are integrated and mutually reinforced. It’s a curriculum where the arts illuminate academic concepts in the classroom, and vice versa, where learning in the academic classroom offers students a richer understanding of their arts practice and performance. Artistically, we prepare students for continued university and conservatory studies, apprenticeships, and/or professional experience. Academically, we prepare students for continued college and university studies in the humanities, liberal arts, and sciences.

    Given SCPA’s unique mission, focused on preparation for higher education and professions in the arts, versus an arts-enrichment curriculum, students are admitted through selective auditions. The audition process ensures that students meet a standard of artistic talent, consistent with SCPA’s vision of artistic and academic excellence as well as the demands of the professional work environment. Students seeking to enroll in K-3 do not audition – enrollment is through CPS' magnet school lottery process. Students who are admitted to SCPA through the K-3 lottery must successfully audition for an arts discipline to begin 4th grade. Students entering grades 4-12 are required to audition. The ‘Audition Packet’ tab on this website offers detailed guidance about how to apply and prepare for an audition.  

    Please note: If you are seeking enrollment into The School for Creative & Performing Arts for the 2022-23 academic year, a fully completed 2022-23 SCPA Application and all supporting materials must be received by March 21, 2022, 11:59pm EST in order for your child’s audition submission to be considered. 

    Out-of-district students (students that do not live within the Cincinnati Public Schools district): A $25 application fee (cash or money order only, payable to SCPA) must accompany the application packet.  Please remit payment to SCPA, ℅ Artistic Department, 108 W. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45213.  You may always pay in person. Please contact the Artistic Department for available hours.

    Submit your application packet here. (available March 1-21, 2022)

    Upcoming Audition Dates for Enrollment in the 2022-23 Academic Year

    Due to the rise in COVID cases, we are forced to restructure our audition process. We will no longer have in-person auditions at the school and we will now have virtual auditions.  Please see below how to submit your child's portfolio and video audition. All audition submissions must be received by 4:00pm (EST) on April 1st. Please note, you must have first completed your application in order for your child's audition portfolio and/or video to be considered.

    AUDITION PORTFOLIO AND VIDEO SUBMISSION
    Please continue to refer to the audition preparation packet for audition requirements for each artistic major (see below for exceptions). Video record your submissions (per artistic discipline) and send a video link, if possible, to SCPAAuditions@cpsboe.k12.oh.us. Art portfolios, Creative Writing pieces and the Technical Theater questionnaire should be sent (non-video format) to SCPAAuditions@cpsboe.k12.oh.us as well. The deadline for video submissions and portfolios is April 1st by 4:00pm (EST).

    Portfolio and Video Submission Guidelines:

    • Grades 4-6 and 9-12 portfolio and virtual audition video(s) must be submitted by April 1st, 4:00pm.
    • The submissions should be labeled as follows: student name, entering grade, art discipline (i.e. Jane Doe, grade 9, Dance).  Portfolios and/or videos that do not have the child’s name, entering grade and artistic
    • area will be returned for correction.
    • The length of each video submission should not exceed 2 minutes, per artistic discipline.
    • Review the videos for audio and display quality before submitting.
    • Remember to check your video audio and visual quality prior to submission.
    • Please do not send files that expire or require a password request.
    • Share your portfolio, questionnaire and video submission with SCPAAuditions@cpsboe.k12.oh.us using a Google account.
    • If possible, please submit your portfolio or video using a link for each artistic category.