About Us
The Léni Fé Bland Performing Arts Partnership was created in honor of the late Léni Fé Bland, a champion philanthropist in the performing arts community of Santa Barbara, California. Léni believed that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic class, race or gender deserve the chance to experience the performing arts, and all it's benefits.
In honor of Léni, Sara Miller McCune created the Léni Fe Bland Performing Arts Partnership to ensure that equitable access to the performing arts would continue, and prosper.
Since our founding in February, 2016, the Partnership has grown exponentially, with 18 members and counting from the performing arts community.
Together with our partners we will provide outreach opportunities both in local theaters around Santa Barbara, and at school sites for students and teachers in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Recent Publicity
“I am proud to report that as a result of this collaboration and with the help of the Léni Fund, every student grades 4, 5, and 6, in the Santa Barbara School District will be able to come and experience the S.B. Symphony and State Street Ballet at the Granada Theater in 2017. This is an amazing accomplishment. I could not be more grateful for the leadership of Amy and Donna, and for the value the Léni Fund is putting on giving every child the chance to see performing arts in the theater.”–Cecily Stewart, State Street Ballet
"I've always used the performance approach to teaching Shakespeare, championed in this country by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., but I had never actually gotten to work with and learn from actor-educators. Getting to do a three-hour workshop with Tas and Adam, the Globe practitioners, was a real gift. I was delighted that not only English teachers from our site, but a Special Education teacher as well, participated. And all thanks to The Léni Fund. This is a perfect example of how public-private partnerships can enrich education here on the South Coast.“ –Patricia Ruth, Santa Barbara High School English Teacher
"Arts education educates the whole child, teaching creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and cultural relevance. Santa Barbara Unified students are blessed to have the opportunity for equitable access to witness live performances and participate within classroom-based educational experiences in music, theatre and dance provided through the generous support of the Leni Fund." -Kim Hoj, VAPA Coordinator, SBUSD