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Press Release - The Actors Fund announces new Teaching Artist InitiativeDocument ActionsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: May 19, 2006 THE ACTORS’ FUND OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES NEW TEACHING ARTIST INITIATIVE (Los Angeles) - With support from The Dana Foundation, The Actors’ Fund is launching a new initiative that will offer training programs for entertainment and performing arts professionals in Los Angeles, focusing on careers in the arts-in-education field. The Actors’ Fund will work with individual performing artists to help them learn more about arts-in-education and prepare them to become teaching artists. In addition, The Fund will work with already established arts-in-education programs to refer qualified teaching artists for employment. The program has three components. First, working closely with a career counselor, individuals will explore the field of arts-in-education and assess whether it is an appropriate career choice. Second, The Fund will be sponsoring a one-week intensive teaching artists training program, designed to give participants the basic skills needed to be a teaching artist. All participants will develop a portfolio of lesson plans that will assist them in their search for teaching artist work. Also, all participants will have a minimum one-month internship with an L.A. arts-in-education program. Inner City Arts, The Heart Project and PS Arts have all given their support to the program and will be working with the interns. The Actors’ Fund has run a similar education and training program in New York within its Actors’ Work Program for seven years with much success. Since its inception in 2001, the New York initiative has successfully trained and placed almost 100 entertainment and performing arts professionals in arts-in-education careers. The Actors’ Fund’s Actors’ Work Program (AWP) assists entertainment industry professionals in identifying and finding sideline work and new careers. AWP is a comprehensive employment and training program committed to fostering resiliency and self-reliance for industry professionals as well as providing a resource for referral of highly skilled and creative workers to the larger employment community. Through AWP services, performers and entertainment professionals can develop rewarding sideline careers in such areas as teaching, administrative support, healing professions, and real estate. Often, working professionals need to work outside of the industry to support the continuing pursuit of industry work. Many of the skills that entertainment industry professionals have – communication, discipline, creativity, flexibility, professionalism – are highly valued in the broader labor market. The Actors’ Work Program helps to identify and apply these skills to other work settings. “We are delighted that the Dana Foundation has recognized the Fund’s contribution to the arts-in-education community, and are excited about expanding our efforts to the Los Angeles community.” said Joseph P. Benincasa, Executive Director of The Fund. For more information on the arts-in-education training program in L.A., call Jocelyn Coblenz at (323) 933-9244. Founded in 1882, The Actors’ Fund is the national human services organization helping all entertainment and performing arts professionals in television, film, music, theatre, opera and dance. The Actors’ Fund’s broad spectrum of programs includes comprehensive social and health services, supportive and affordable housing, career counseling, and skilled nursing and assisted living care. Actors Fund programs address the essential needs of people in our industry. Administered from offices in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Fund is a safety net, providing essential support for those in need, crisis or transition. ### Lynne Hoppe |
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