THEATRE OF HEARTS INC
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Mission Statement
Theatre Of Hearts Inc. was founded by actor/arts education advocate, Sheila Scott-Wilkinson in 1987 to promote understanding between people through cultural and artistic forums, and to empower local communities through education in the arts. In the wake of the civil unrest experienced in Los Angeles in 1992, Theatre Of Hearts initiated the Youth First Artist-In-Residence (AIR) Program in order to prevent and intervene in youth violence through ongoing, high quality, standards-based, multidisciplinary arts education workshops for youth and professional development workshops for educators offered at schools and community-based sites in underserved neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County.
About This Cause
Our focus is on the delivery of customized comprehensive, long-term arts instruction to at-promise youth in low-income schools, juvenile detention centers, residential homes, libraries, parks and community based sites presented by 30-45 ethnically and culturally diverse professional artists from the visual and performing arts including the literary fields who teach and mentor the youth we serve. Many teachers in our TOHYF AIR Programs noted that student attendance reaches 100% on days featuring artist sessions. TOHYF Program comprises of 13 two-hour sessions taught once or twice weekly in school and or community sites. TOHYF programming adheres to the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards and CA Common Core State Standards and the Social Emotional Framework including language arts, emphasizing skill building in the arts and connections to academic learning. Programs may also incorporate science, social studies, language arts, and math. Participants ages K-12 are encouraged to work both in groups and individually to express themselves, develop valuable interpersonal skills, and become tolerant of cultural diversity. All TOHYF programs culminate in a final Work-In-Progress Presentations in which participants showcase their final projects to their families and friends, and to the community at large. We believe that art is a process as it is in life. Example: Teacher Evaluation: Mr. Manuel Fierros, 4th grade teacher, at Estrella Elementary School worked with TOHYF artist mentors Angela for creative writing and Alaiza for a theatre residency during the second cycle of programming Mr. Fierros, reported a 50% improvement in grades and attendance as well as a 70% improvement in behavior. He noted, "students increase in confidence in trying new activities and students learned not only about theatre and writing as an art form but improved in their public speaking and articulation as transferable skills to be applied both in and out of the classroom. Mr. Fierros notes that students enjoyed performing the theatre exercises and using their imagination to write their stories. "The YFAIR program was wonderful and a needed opportunity for students to experience a program and art form they typically do not have access to". Example: pre/post surveys: Alariza taught three theatre classes at Lockhurst in the fall. Two of those classes were second grade class. Ms Wagner’s Class average score for pre surveys was 21%. The average post survey score was 78%. This means the average score for Ms. Wagners class improved by 57%. Ms. Cho’s class average score for pre surveys was 45%. The average post survey score was 69%. This means the average score for Ms. Cho’s class improved by 24%. Our students develop life skills to enhance their ability to choose nonviolent behavior and tolerant of cultural diversity through TOH’s instruction in theatre, dance, music visual art and creative writing activities for example such as: positive expression, active listening, public speaking,creative problem-solving, teamwork, communication, leadership, responsibility,respect, and self-advocacy, all of which develop critical thinking and promote tolerance and intercultural understanding, self-expression, and civic involvement. The California Endowment study The Power of Art in 2008 cited TOHYF's programmatic approach as effective in the application of intervention strategies for at-risk youth. The Los Angeles County Arts Commission recognizes TOHYF in their directory. The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies designated TOHYF a model program, with the U.S. Department of Justice in its publication, Part of the Creative Solution, and Creative Alternatives for Youth. TOHYF also received a positive evaluation in the RAND Arts and Public Safety Impact Study, as a "best practices" program for effective, community-based arts education, aimed at improving the pro-social behaviors of high-risk youth (Stone et al., 1997. In 2016, TOH was selected be featured in the CAC publication, Forty Stories, Forty Years, profiling the work of forty grantees since 1976 for their notable contributions to arts and creativity in California.