Campus Engagement & Access to the Arts at The Soraya
“The Soraya is a powerful symbol of our academic mission. The gift of these experiences helps attune our hearts and minds to what really matters—our humanity.”
— Erika D. Beck, Ph.D., President, California State University, Northridge
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) is a vital cultural asset at the heart of the CSUN campus. More than a performance venue, it is the intersection of academic inquiry, artistic excellence, and student opportunity. Through intentional engagement of the CSUN community, everything that happens at The Soraya is rooted in the purpose of ensuring CSUN students, staff, alumni have meaningful access to the arts.
WHERE ART, CAREER, AND COMMUNITY INTERSECT
The most powerful moments happen when inspiration meets access.
At The Soraya, these moments are made possible through our Campus Engagement program. A single performance can bring together students from across campus - artists and analysts; creatives and strategists. Dance students may sit alongside business and marketing majors, each discovering how art lives, not only on stage, but in the production, storytelling, branding, and community impact. By centering access, The Soraya transforms inspiration into confidence, connection, and opportunity for students of all backgrounds.
JOIN US
Your generosity makes this work possible. Gifts directly support The Soraya’s Campus Engagement initiatives that ensure CSUN students can experience, learn from, and be inspired by the arts. Funds raised for The Soraya’s Campus Engagement program help support:
- The Soraya’s Student Ticket program, providing students with access to live performances
- Direct Engagement with The Soraya’s artists through masterclasses, talks, and open rehearsals for CSUN’s Music and Dance students.
WHY CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT MATTERS
Campus Engagement at The Soraya is guided by a simple belief: The arts belong to everyone. By removing financial, cultural, and perceptual barriers, The Soraya ensures that access to the arts is not a privilege, but a shared part of the CSUN student experience. Opening doors to creativity, career pathways, and community connection.
2024–2025 CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
STUDENT ACCESS TO PERFORMANCES
Access to the arts shouldn’t depend on what a student can afford, it should depend on what they’re ready to discover.
- $22 student tickets available year-round
- 968 fully sponsored student tickets for CSUN students
- Annual investment: over $60,000
These tickets are fully underwritten through philanthropy as a direct investment in student access, learning, and belonging.
With your support, The Soraya will continue to be a place where students gather to learn, imagine, and connect. Where access to the arts is foundational to student success.
Masterclasses
Under the supervision of top-notch professional artists, CSUN student artists acquire exceptional skills in exclusive Master Classes that provide free professional training for thousands of CSUN students.
One-of-a kind Experiences
We partner with CSUN Faculty and community leadership to curate one-of-a kind events and opportunities that challenge CSUN students, staff and alumni to break through previously conceived notions of who belongs in the Arts. WE ALL DO!
We provide opportunity to learn from artists about their processes and what it means to be a leader in the arts. Classes participate in private venue tours and curated pre-show and post-show experiences that foster connection, community and belonging. Through reflective projects, students connect artistic expression and leadership, while building inspiration, community and professional networks. Students learn to leverage the arts as social capital, while meeting alumni, donors and artists who can support their professional journey.
Click the "Donate" button above to give to The Soraya.
Photo credit: Luis Luque
Video credit: Steve Brickman
