Theatre Action Project

Mission Statement

Theatre Action Project is a team of professionally trained artists and educators that works in partnership with schools and communities to lead unique and engaging arts programs which allow young people to learn critical life skills, gain tools for creative expression and have successful experiences that build self-esteem and confidence.

Description

Each year our programs reach more than 15,000 young people and the adults who care for them. We visit more than 120 sites and serve every school district in the Greater Austin area, as well as a large number of Private and Charter schools. In all, we deliver more than 10,000 hours of arts-based programs to the community.

TAP achieves its mission to realize the potential of young people in Austin through four branches of programming. They are:

1. TAP in the Classroom

These unique and effective five-day residencies bring original theatrical pieces into the classroom, activating students in grades K-12 to discover and practice solutions to the problems they face every day.

2. Youth Theatre Ensembles

Middle School and High School students create original interactive shows based on their own experiences. The companies then tour throughout the school year to educate their peers on topics like dating violence, immigration, healthy lifestyle choices and education.

3. TAP After School Classes

TAP After School program provides daily programming that uses theatre and art-based curricula to explore social issues, build self-esteem, and enrich our students’ academic experience in the school system. Whether they are exploring diversity through mask and puppet making, acting out folktales in World Theatre classes, writing original performances about their own lives, or creating parades to let other students in their own school know what matters to them, TAP students learn how to think creatively, work as a team and believe in themselves.

4. TAP in the Community

TAP's customized programs use theatre as a tool to strengthen community. Previous projects include interactive workshops on parent-child communication or girl-empowerment and special events like the Kite Festival and Austin's First Night Grand Procession.

Theatre Action Project’s growth and success is founded on our ability to recognize and meet the needs of Central Texas youth, from the 530 youth we reached in our first year to the more than 14,000 youth and adults we will serve this year.

Program Type

Education/Employment Program, Youth Program