DEVELOPING ARTISTS THEATER COMPANY INC
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Mission Statement
Developing Artists challenges teens to combine rigorous performing arts training with an ensemble-based philosophy to create original work that inspires social change. Since 1999, our goal is to support the long-term development of young individuals, particularly teens from underrepresented and underserved communities, through comprehensive, tuition-free performing arts education, holistic mental health services, and performance opportunities such as the REBEL VERSES Youth Arts Festival. These programs help youth advance artistic skills, promote college readiness, and use creative expression for advocacy and personal growth. Developing Artists has served over 4,000 young artists in more than 25 years.
About This Cause
Developing Artists (DA) empowers BIPOC youth, ages 13–19, from underserved NYC communities, including the Bronx, East Harlem, and the Lower East Side, to use the performing arts as tools for creative expression, leadership, and advocacy. By providing tuition-free, culturally relevant performing arts training, DA dismantles systemic barriers to access while amplifying marginalized voices and fostering future generations of artists and change-makers. One of DA’s strengths is guiding students – many of whom initially lack direction – toward setting achievable goals and building actionable plans. Our programs nurture a generation of empathetic, creative leaders in a culturally responsive environment. According to our surveys, 90% of our students find a passion for social justice, and 75% of alumni continue applying the skills learned at DA in their personal lives. This underscores the impact of our programming in providing opportunities for an otherwise underserved population. By emphasizing the practical application of performing arts, DA equips alumni with critical thinking skills to navigate opportunities and drive positive change. At DA, racial equity is foundational to how we design, implement, and evaluate our programs. Our leadership team actively considers racial and ethnic issues by setting policies that prioritize culturally relevant programming and equitable access to arts education for underserved communities. To ensure community representation in decision-making, our board and leadership team is majority BIPOC, with 71% of staff identifying as Black, Latinx, or Asian, and 57% of board members identifying as BIPOC. Many of our teaching artists are alumni, creating a culturally responsive environment where mentorship is deeply rooted in shared lived experiences. Additionally, DA’s commitment to equity informs outreach to high-need NYC neighborhoods and incorporates student perspectives into program design, ensuring our work remains relevant, inclusive, and impactful. The Performing Arts Institute (The Institute) is the cornerstone of DA’s programming, offering over 300 hours of pre-professional performing arts training each year across fall, winter/spring, and summer sessions. Classes seamlessly integrate into students’ academic schedules, ensuring accessibility for teens with competing commitments. This structured program creates a progressive learning experience that evolves with students over 3–4 years, from ensemble building and self-discovery to advanced artistic development and mentorship. The Institute prioritizes accessibility by being entirely tuition-free, a commitment DA made in 2018 to eliminate financial barriers for low-income youth often excluded from similar programs. To ensure programming meets the specific needs of communities, DA collaborates with NYC Borough Arts Directors, seeking their expertise to identify underserved schools and shape impactful arts programs. By working directly with principals, teachers, and school staff, DA tailors its programming to align with community needs. Students come from all five NYC boroughs and New Jersey, with 35% identifying as Latinx, 40% as African American, 20% as Caucasian, and 5% as Asian/other. Classes are held at our home base, Houghton Hall Community Arts, and other rented spaces as needed to meet growing demand. DA maintains small classes (14 students per ensemble - 3 ensembles operate concurrently), ensuring personalized instruction and mentorship. Each session incorporates foundational theater techniques (including classics like Shakespeare and works by modern playwrights such as Neil Simon and DA Advisory Council member Stephen Adly Guirgis), specialized workshops led by guest professionals (e.g., movement, clowning, spoken word), and ensemble-based collaboration to create original works. Classes are designed to be student-centered, with teaching artists tailoring lessons to each individual’s goals, whether refining diction, building confidence, or exploring vulnerability through texts. A Holistic Approach to Arts Education The Institute combines rigorous arts training with emotional support, creating a safe space where students feel empowered to express themselves. Mental health services are integrated into programming, addressing the unique challenges students face, such as trauma, systemic inequities, and academic pressures. Licensed mental health professionals lead workshops and provide support sessions to help students build resilience and process their experiences. This holistic approach strengthens students’ personal and professional growth while fostering their ability to advocate for themselves and their communities. Program Structure and Impact The Institute offers 70 hours of instruction in the fall, 90 in the winter/spring, and 150 in the summer. Students begin each session with group warm-ups and full company check-ins to foster ensemble bonding. Mornings focus on specialized training or workshops, followed by lunch breaks featuring informal theater history lessons. Afternoons are dedicated to rehearsing and devising original works, culminating in public showcases for friends, family, and general audiences. These performances empower students to use their artistic voices for advocacy, addressing themes like racial justice, mental health, and identity. Students typically remain in The Institute for 3–4 years: - Year 1: Focus on ensemble building, self-discovery, and developing a sense of belonging within a supportive community. - Year 2: Students explore personal truths through themes of social justice, developing their artistic voices and gaining confidence as storytellers. - Year 3 and beyond/Performing Ensemble: Students refine their skills and begin mentoring incoming participants, fostering intergenerational learning and leadership within the DA community. Since its inception, The Institute has served over 4,000 students, with 95% going on to attend colleges like Juilliard, NYU Tisch, and Yale Drama. Alumni often return as teaching artists, creating a full-circle model of empowerment. Additional Programs The REBEL VERSES Youth Arts Festival (RV) is a nationally recognized platform that brings together youth theater companies, such as MCC Theater Youth Company, Girl Be Heard, Epic Theatre Ensemble, and The Door, to collaborate and perform original works addressing social issues. Held annually since 2001, RV showcases performances by 6–8 youth ensembles each night, followed by post-show discussions to deepen understanding and advocacy. In 2025, RV will take place at The Public Theater from April 17–19, marking a significant milestone in its evolution as a hub for youth artivism. Make Art With (MAW), entering its second year, pairs DA students with renowned artist and “artivist” Liza Jessie Peterson to co-create a new theatrical work exploring themes of racial justice and cultural resilience. This intergenerational collaboration immerses students in the professional creative process, fostering mentorship and affirming the power of storytelling as a tool for systemic change. New Initiatives In 2025, DA will launch a pilot outreach initiative targeting middle school students in high-need communities. This program introduces younger participants to acting and ensemble-building workshops, addressing systemic barriers to early arts engagement and preparing them for future enrollment in The Institute. Simultaneously, DA’s outreach initiative will formalize pathways for alumni to return as teaching artists, providing economic opportunities while ensuring mentorship remains rooted in cultural relevance and shared experiences. External evaluators like press, critics and non-affiliated members are also important as a less biased measure of our impact. In one example, Kenneth J. Cerniglia, PhD, dramaturg for Hadestown, Disney Theatrical Productions Past President, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), says about DA: "I’ve been continually impressed with these students’ critical engagement with the most pressing issues of our day: social responsibility, economic access, representational inequity, voting rights, and much more. On top of their mastery of civic literacy, they are astonishingly talented artists, both as writers and performers. These teens’ capacity for this level of discourse and creativity is clearly traceable to their training and experience through Developing Artists. Jill and Jinn’s personal and professional dedication to the holistic development and success of each student is total. Their high expectations elicit excellence, dedication, maturity, and long-lasting relationships across a wide diversity of backgrounds. They’ve formed a family commitment to one another that far exceeds any after-school arts program I know."