The Actors Theatre Workshop, Inc.

One of ATW’s main commitments has been to educate and train at-risk youth. In our award-winning drama and education program Builders of the New World, we teach 8 – 12 year old children who are dealing with the tremendous instability of losing their homes, and are now living with their families in temporary housing facilities. BNW provides a clean, home-like atmosphere, and hot meals donated by top restaurants that the children eat at every session with trained, loving mentors. Our Results: Since BNW was sparked 20 years ago through a joint initiative of the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs and Board of Education, ATW has taught over 2,250 NYC homeless youth; created strong partnerships with 15 temporary housing facilities; and recruited and trained 1,075 BNW volunteer mentors from diverse socio- economic and racial backgrounds. Many of our graduates have turned their lives around, and found success as fashion designers, business professionals, musicians, teachers and many other professions. How did we support our children to defy expectations? With our original theatre and education methodology. Academic Skills: Using disciplined theatre principles, Thurman teaches the children his original technique to open their imaginations. They learn to have an intention in life and take tangible steps today to achieve their dream for the future. They draw colorful pictures, then write, rehearse and perform their visions. This improves their reading, writing and presentation skills. They catch up academically and build self-esteem. Discipline and Love: Thurman creates a loving yet disciplined environment and places a very high demand on the children. They learn they’re never too young to confront and overcome the obstacles in their way. Our multi-cultural volunteer mentors listen to and take the children seriously, giving them a new experience of the world and their place in it. They start to believe they can participate in society, improve their lives and succeed. Learning to Organize: We teach the children they must work to bring service to their community, by leading, voting and organizing. They learn how to present themselves at job interviews, and to approach our institutions - banks, city council, the police - upheld by the community’s support for their ideas. Being Seen: The core of homelessness is an existential struggle of invisibility. Each BNW semester ends with a celebratory performance when the children present their plans to better our society to their families and community leaders, who sit with amazement and respect for their creations. As the children see tears running down the cheeks of these government, business and educational luminaries, they realize that “There is something of value in me. I’ve made an impact in the world. I do have power. I can be seen.” Feeling Ownership and Permanence: After their final performance, the children select artwork to be added to a permanent exhibit of art created in previous BNW programs currently installed at ATW. In addition to its artistic merit, being part of the exhibit gives the children a feeling of ownership of our city’s cultural institutions at a time when they are dealing with difficult conditions of transience. It also helps them feel a sense of tradition and connection to others as they see their work making up part of an ensemble.

The Actors Theatre Workshop is an award-winning non-profit theatre and educational institution that teaches innovative educational techniques and theatre principles to adults and children; produces classical and contemporary plays that maintain the highest artistic standards; and develops new dramatic works that examine the social issues of the day. Since 1990, ATW has flourished as an artistic leader in the field, producing award-winning educational programs and productions that develop individual potential, create tangible change and liberate the talents and abilities in people from all walks of life – – from homeless children to the highly economically privileged, while operating an organization of artistic merit that has proven itself worthy of public, private and civic support.