We are pleased to present our new publication, Innovation In Action: Three Case Studies from the Intersection of Arts & Social Justice in EmcArts’ Innovation Labs. In this blog post, we will explore the innovation story of The Theater Offensive (TTO), one of the three organizations profiled in the publication. You can download their case study here.
TTO was accepted into Round 8 of EmcArts’ Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts in February 2013. In 1989, TTO was born out of a small guerrilla street theater in Boston called The United Fruit Company. Its mission was to represent the diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer lives through art and build a nurturing community. Throughout it’s history, TTO focused on creating programs that educated youth and developed their leadership skills. Over the years, and specifically after the financial crisis of 2009, TTO made several adaptive changes–its programs became more local and collaborations with other community groups and neighborhood residents increased. In this case study, we will explore how TTO hosted the Pride Youth Theater Alliance (PYTA) and navigated the complex challenge of hosting a national network while simultaneously sustaining both local, community-based theater programs.
Launched in 2008 with a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF), the Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts helps organizations design and prototype new ideas and launch real-life projects that address major challenges facing the arts and culture sector today. To learn more about the frameworks of the Lab, click here.
Download the Theater Offensive case study here.