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"My daughter has better communication skills now, and her grades went up. The plays were wonderful, they really made me see what kids are going through."
Ana Chavez
parent of participant
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Programs > Methodology
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We apply the same methodology to each of our programs, customizing our curriculum in response to site needs.
Serving a diverse community
The artist-to-child ratio in all our programs is approximately 1 : 6. Within each of our programs we assemble groups of youth who are not only diverse racially, ethnically and socioeconomically, but who may also be differently abled and/or have behavioral, academic and language differences. By bringing together children who otherwise would never interact, our programs promote tolerance, understanding and respect for each other and all peoples. In addition, our School and Neighborhood Arts Projects bridge geographic boundaries to bring together kids from different parts of the city and, often, rival gang territories.
Curriculum
Our curriculum consists of creative writing, art, movement, vocal and improvisational theater exercises that strengthen focused listening, foster collaboration and introduce participants to the elements of creating a play. All programs culminate with free art shows and public performances of participants' original theater pieces.
The program's first half - building creative tools and the basic elements
In the programs' first half, artists lead participants through an innovative series of exercises that introduce them to the elements of creating a play (e.g. character development, story and structure), while promoting teamwork and strengthening their socialization, communication and conflict resolution skills. All of our exercises are interactive so that every child participates. We use engaging exercises such as theater games, creative writing, improvisation, puppetry, performance art, group drawing, dance and choreography to help enable participants learn about the arts and acquire life skills through experience. Weekly workshops expand participants' repertoire of creative tools and introduce young people to various arts disciplines.
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The program's second half - the creative process
In the second half of the programs, participants take the lead in the creative process. Building community in an artistic context, we bring participants together in small ensembles (8-12 participants). Supported and guided by our artist leaders, participants use skills developed over the previous months to write original short plays which they perform before audiences of peers, families and the community. Kids choose themes inspired by important issues in their lives and communities, develop characters, introduce conflict and dramatic structure, compose dialogue, select roles they will play and design and paint large canvasses as backdrops. Past themes include racism, gangs, parent/child relationships, drug/alcohol abuse, dating, suicide, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, music, bullying, self-mutilation, civic involvement, poverty, the environment, and domestic violence. We challenge participants to explore and develop positive outcomes for issues raised.
This creative process not only stimulates children's imaginations and allows them to experience the rewards of goal-setting and self-discipline, it also encourages them to express themselves constructively and with greater confidence. Writing about timely issues in their lives also gives youth an opportunity to enlighten their families and communities about what is on their minds. For middle-school youth facing enormous peer pressure and the challenges of becoming teenagers, the plays are also a chance to explore the implications of the life choices they are making. Participants acknowledge their achievements at a closure workshop.
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Parent/child arts workshops and theater field trips
Two important elements-parent/child arts workshops and theater field trips-are recent additions to our curriculum. These free Saturday workshops cross boundaries between generations, strengthen communication within families, increase parental involvement in the program, and inspire an appreciation for the arts that extends to the greater community.
Theater field trips further stimulate participants' imaginations and give them a tangible understanding of the ideas and techniques we teach, such as blocking, vocal projection, thematic through-lines, conflict and resolution. Most participants have never seen a professional play, making it difficult for them to envision artistic options as they embark on creating their own plays. Field trips help them see the goals we are setting, which helps raise the level of commitment and expectation participants place on themselves and their creative possibilities.
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Camping / Rehearsal Retreat
One of the most important components of our flagship program, the School Project, is a well-supervised 3-day Camping/Rehearsal Retreat in the Santa Monica Mountains. Held in mid-May, the Retreat brings students from 3 middle school sites together to rehearse their plays, design and paint backdrops, hike, swim, and participate in music, drumming and dance workshops. LAUSD provides bus transportation and artists and teacher liaisons serve as counselors, assisted by Alumni Mentors.
The Retreat is a significant part of the program, providing a chance for youth from different backgrounds and different parts of the city to get to know one another in a neutral, safe environment. We mix kids from our three schools, further promoting interaction. The Retreat is many kids' first experience out of the city and a rare opportunity to explore nature. Kodak donates single-use cameras for kids to record their experiences. Participants join again for the culminating performance, followed by a reception. Each program concludes with a workshop, giving participants a chance to acknowledge their accomplishments.
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Our Artistic Staff
Our artistic staff consists of more than 40 professional actors, writers, directors, dancers, musicians and visual artists. Artists are selected through an interview and audition process. Particular effort is made to find bi-lingual and ethnically diverse artists. The Executive and Artistic Directors oversee auditions, interviews and final selections. Artists who have professional resumes and an interest in working with youth are invited to a training session. They are evaluated on their creative input, their ability to lead workshops, and whether their ideas and choices are age-appropriate. Selected artists are required to complete 20 training sessions in preparation to join a site team.
Site Leader - In addition to Site Artist responsibilities listed below, the Site Leader oversees the preparation of project materials for workshops; serves as a liaison between site administration and Inside Out; oversees pre- and post-workshop sessions; provides bi-monthly project reports to the Program Coordinator; assigns weekly artist and participant workshop groups; facilitates artist relations; supervises Mentors; and directs play creation.
Site Artists - Site Artists participate in workshop groups; team-lead exercises; establish/maintain weekly phone contact with participants; co-direct youths' plays; attend pre- and post-workshop meetings; participate in annual workshop exercise training marathon; and attend post-session evaluation meeting.
Youth Artist Leaders - Youth Artist Leaders must be at least in the 11th grade. They participate in all Neighborhood Arts Project activities. Their duties include serving as role models for their younger peers; leading warm-up and share exercises; serving as assistant directors during play creation; assisting with set-up and clean up for workshops, rehearsals and performances; helping with community outreach, recruitment and flyer distribution; and assisting staff and participants as needed. As more NAP alumni reach 11th grade we are pleased to be able to hire qualified youth to serve as YALs.
Youth Alumni Mentors - To complement the mentoring role our artists play and in response to requests from School Project graduates to continue their involvement, we established an Alumni Mentor Program in 1997. The program enables Project graduates, now in high school, to serve as role models for their younger peers. Mentors serve as assistant counselors on the theater field trip and Retreat, assistants to the directors of the plays, and as emcees for the culminating Evening Performance. We began the program with 3 Mentors and now work with 34 annually, six from each school site. Two Mentors are assigned to each of the 15 play groups and 4 participate in KidVid.
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