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What is Inside Out Community Arts?
What is our mission?
How many kids do we serve annually?
Who does Inside Out target for our programs?
How do our programs work?
How are our artists selected?
What kind of training do our artists receive?
Is there pay for being an Inside Out Artist?
How do kids get into our programs?
What kind of impact do our programs have?
What makes us different from other arts programs?
How many paid staff members (full- and part-time) do we currently employ?
How many active volunteers do we count among our membership?
What are our primary sources of funding?
Who are our major financial supporters?
How do we allocate our annual budget?
How can you get involved with Inside Out?
What is Inside Out Community Arts?
Inside Out is an organization that brings much-needed after-school arts programs to at-risk and underserved middle-school youth throughout greater Los Angeles. back to top^
What is our mission?
Our mission is to use the arts to promote healthy interaction among diverse at-risk and underserved Los Angeles middle-school youth. We encourage them to explore new options and empower them to make positive choices as individuals and members of the community. We’re committed to fostering tolerance and understanding among diverse groups of young people, particularly those who would otherwise have few opportunities for positive interaction. back to top^
How many kids do we serve annually?
Each year, our programs directly serve hundreds of middle-school children, dozens of high-school age mentors, and reach more than 2,500 peers, family and community audience members. Since we were founded in 1996, we have served more than 3,600 youth and reached over 55,000 community audience members. back to top^
Who does Inside Out target for its programs?
Our programs are geared toward kids between the ages of 11 and 19 — difficult and vulnerable ages. Kids at this age are on the cusp of making critical decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, as well as their families and communities. By getting kids involved in our programs, we can help them stay on a healthy track that will lead to more productive and fulfilled lives. back to top^
How do our programs work?
Our program methodology and curriculums are specially designed for working with middle-school youth. Students participate in interactive arts workshops, held once a week for up to five months. Participants learn important life skills as well creative tools to help them collaborate on writing original plays about issues that are important to them such as poverty, gangs, domestic violence and peer pressure. back to top^
How are our artists selected?
We select professional artists for our site teams through an interview and audition process . Appropriate artists are invited to participate in a training session and are evaluated on creative input and ideas, ability to lead workshops, and their interest in working with youth. We make a particular effort to find bilingual and ethnically diverse artists. Our Artistic Director oversees the auditions, interviews, and final selections. back to top^
What kind of training do our artists receive?
Artists wishing to participate in our programs are asked to complete 20 sessions of specialized training in our curriculum and methodology and make four site visits in preparation for joining a site team. back to top^
Is there pay for being an Inside Out Artist?
Yes, artists receive stipends once they have completed their training and joined a site team. We expect a professional commitment and we believe in fair compensation. back to top^
How do kids get into our programs?
Enrollment selection for each program is different. For The School Project , teachers, counselors and administrators at each of our three schools recommend students they think would benefit most. We also spread the word via school assemblies and classroom presentations. For our Neighborhood Arts Project , we talk to kids at local schools and community organizations, post fliers and submit announcements to local newspapers. Kids are also referred through the Los Angeles County Juvenile Court. At Allen Young School Metropolitan State Hospital , teachers enroll their classes in our program. back to top^
What kinds of impact do our programs have?
A formal evaluation of our programs shows significant growth in participants’ appreciation for the arts and their ability to express themselves effectively in individual and group settings. More importantly, there’s evidence of positive change in participants’ self-awareness, self-respect, coping abilities and social skills. Participants also show positive improvement in how they solve problems and resolve tensions and conflicts. back to top^
What makes us different from other arts programs?
Our programs bring children from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, geographic, behavioral and special needs backgrounds together in creative collaboration. Successfully crossing all of these boundaries with sustained arts programs makes us truly unique. back to top^
How many paid staff members (full- and part-time) do we currently employee?
Our office staff is composed of 5 full-time and 2 part-time members. We also have a diverse artistic staff of 36 part-time professionals, including actors, directors, writers, musicians, dancers and visual artists. Once trained and assigned to a site, artists receive a stipend for each workshop they facilitate. Additionally, six high school students per year serve as paid Youth Artist Leaders. back to top^
How many active volunteers do we count among our membership?
Each year, approximately 350 adult volunteers contribute their time to support our programs. We also have more than 30 graduates of our School Project --all high-school age — who give back by volunteering time as Alumni Mentors for younger peers in the program. back to top^
What are our primary sources of funding?
Our funding comes from various sources:
- 11% from government agencies
- 38% from foundations
- 16% from corporations
- 16% earned income from program sites and performances
- 19% from individuals & fundraising events
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Who are our major financial supporters?
Inside Out is consistently among the highest-ranked grant recipients of the California Arts Council, Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. We also receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and substantial support from a number of foundations and corporations. back to top^
How do we allocate our annual budget?
Because we’re committed to the success of our programs, we dedicate 78 percent of our annual budget to program expenses, such as workshop supplies, artist fees and production materials. The remaining 22 percent covers our administrative costs. back to top^
How can you get involved with Inside Out?
To find out how you can join our artistic team, volunteer your time or make a donation, visit our Get Involved section. back to top^
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