Creative expression is freeing!
Programs
TheatreWorkers Project teaching artists provide an introduction to the fundamentals of physical theater, improvisation, and writing techniques that lead to a theatre piece or staged reading created and performed by the participants. Participants work together as an ensemble and in small groups structured to provide safe and supportive environments for creative risk taking. TheatreWorkers Project’s belief that “every human being has a story to tell” serves as the jumping off point for these programs.
Artists in communities
"Artists in Communities" (AC) centralizes artists and their artistic processes as vehicles for community vitality. AC grants support sustained artistic residencies in community settings. Applicant organizations, partners, and community members must support the vision of the artist(s) to produce creative projects that are relevant and responsive to their community.
Artists in Schools
Through "Artists in Schools" grants, Susan Franklin Tanner and a small team of TWP teaching artists delivered skill-building theatre experiences to students from a variety of Los Angeles County elementary, middle and high schools. Although several residencies culminated in performances for parents, most focused on process and culminated in informal sharing of the work with peers.
Based on the belief that the arts are essential to the health and well-being of a society and should be accessible to all, TheatreWorkers Project places an emphasis on working with marginalized and underserved youth.
Schools served have included LACHSA, ICL Academy, CHAMPS Charter High School, James Monroe High School, Nava College Prep, and Sequoyah School.
Reentry Through the Arts
"Reentry Through the Arts" (RTA) supports arts and culture programs for adults who have been incarcerated within correctional institutions and reinforces the direct impact that arts and culture have on the health, welfare, and economic well-being of all Californians. By focusing on the principles of restorative justice, transformative justice, and reconciliation, RTA elevates projects that utilize arts and culture as part of a holistic approach to supporting the successful transition of formerly incarcerated individuals back into their communities.
Lifer: Stories from the Inside/Out
"Lifer: Stories from the Inside/Out," a Reentry Through the Arts program, enables residents of The Francisco Homes in Los Angeles, a diverse group of Latino, African-American, and Caucasian men who have been paroled after serving life sentences, to share their stories through a documentary theatre project. A series of workshops provides the participants with skill-building activities, including improvisation, writing, movement, vocal expression, and performance techniques. The project culminates in a series of short performances and discussions for high school and college students, residents and staff of The Francisco Homes, and the public.
Arts in Corrections
Administered by the California Arts Council in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California's "Arts in Corrections" program is internationally recognized for its high-impact, innovative approach to addressing the state's critical public safety needs and rehabilitative priorities through the arts.
Arts education is an essential tool for healthy human development and lifelong learning that must be made available to all. Providing people experiencing incarceration access to the arts has an immediate, direct, and positive impact on their personal health and welfare, as well as their surroundings. Participation in Arts in Corrections programming promotes healing and interpersonal transformation both inside and outside of the boundaries of their institutions, paving the way for successful rehabilitation and a productive reentry to society.
In early 2021, TheatreWorkers Project was awarded a contract to provide Restorative and Transformative Justice Training for current Arts in Corrections program providers.
The California Arts Council has announced a name change for its state prison arts program, from Arts in Corrections to Transformative Arts. The new name is intended to better reflect the program’s values and to refocus the public perception of people experiencing incarceration.
Prison & Reentry Arts Teaching Artist Training
Funded by an "Arts in Corrections" program development contract, TheatreWorkers Project (TWP) presented a two-day training for artists, arts administrators and community members interested in working in and knowing more about prison and reentry arts. Produced in partnership with the Lincoln Heights Youth Arts Center, activities included skill-building workshops focused on TWP techniques, presentations by formerly incarcerated men, information about prison college programs, a preview performance of to.be.FREE, and legislative advocacy.
