Our History

Inside Out Community Arts was founded in 1996 by actor/educator Camille Ameen and actor/writer/director Jonathan Zeichner. They sought to build on the success of the School Project,an after-school arts program Zeichner implemented in 1993 while artistic director of Imagination Workshop, an organization working with mental health and homeless communities. The genesis of the School Project was a response by artists to the uprisings that took place on the streets of Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdicts of 1992. The objective: give at-risk kids a source of personal power that does not rely on violence or money.

Our Program

The organization continues to evolve and in 2002 we co-founded the Venice Center for Peace with Justice and the Arts, increasing the scope of our mission and our ability to serve Community through the Arts. Inside Out is a living organism… a story in progress… and you can be apart of it.

We operate six ongoing theatre-based arts programs at nine sites, all free to youth:

Our diverse program staff includes 36 professional artists-- actors, writers, directors, visual artists, dancers and musicians. Inside Out artists complete 20 training sessions in preparation for working at our sites.

Our Partnerships

In addition to the Los Angeles Unified School District, Inside Out collaborates with many other agencies and community-based organizations. These include the Los Angeles County Superior Court, The Boys & Girls Club of Venice, Vista del Mar Family Services, CSUN’s Child Development Department, Venice/Marina del Rey Rotary Club, Venice Gang Coalition, Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, City at Peace, Hollywood CPR, SPA 5, Venice Arts, Venice Community Housing Corporation.

In addition, through a partnership with the Riordan Volunteer Leadership Development Program, Inside Out provides internships to young professionals learning to serve on nonprofit boards.

Each year more than 350 community volunteers contribute their time and efforts to making our programs successful. Our programs and community events have directly served thousands of youth and tens of thousands of audience members.