Walker International Communications Group

An inter-borough youth theater initiative

Impact Broadway Mission & Program Description

Impact Broadway, an inter-borough youth theater initiative, is a socially and technology driven audience development program that has been funded by the above mentioned fund to achieve the goal of engaging 300 African American and Latino high school and college students – from 10 schools throughout the 5 boroughs – to help establish a future generation of audiences as well as impact two seasons of commerce on Broadway in the theater SubDistrict – Fall/Winter 2009 and Spring 2010. It is expected that program participants will impact Broadway, just as Broadway, seen through a new prism of history, belonging and ownership will impact them.

Primary Activities

The program’s primary activities include the founding of theater club chapters at 10 participating schools, 2 per borough (1 high school and 1 college), participation in focus groups and work sessions for the purposes of developing collaterals and media as well as generating important demographic and psychographic data to make the program as rich an experience for the students as possible; a calendar of Broadway outings which will include dining experiences at youth friendly restaurants in the theater SubDistrict, and participation in Arts in My Backyard, a program component that encourages students to explore the arts in their home boroughs. Arts in My Backyard is also the title of an Impact Broadway newsletter that will debut in the June of 2009 and will herald programs and events at various cultural institutions throughout the 5 boroughs and encourage student support and attendance over the summer. After two semesters, Impact Broadway will conclude with the students participating in the annual Tony Award evening event hosted by Black 2 Broadway, a non-profit organization that promotes the theatrical accomplishments of people of color.

Values & Objectives

Impact Broadway is conceived as an integrated program that employs the proven techniques of arts education, leadership training, audience development, social networking, viral marketing and good old fashioned fun, to culturally motivate and empower 300 students through a range of activities designed to:

Foster a New Yorker’s sense of ownership and belonging in the Broadway community among the participating students
Highlight theatrical contributions and legacies of African Americans and Latinos
Develop a theatrical literacy among the students
Underscore the important role of theater, particularly the renowned Broadway brand, to the New York economy
Establish a connection to arts organizations in the students’ home boroughs
Provide opportunities for inter-borough cultural exchange between the students
Create a cultural leadership community
Demonstrate their collective impact through the support of current Broadway shows as well as theater district restaurants and attractions

Impact Broadway’s student participants will engage in the exploration of two key topics. First, the rich and varied contributions African Americans and Latinos have made to the performing arts in general and theater and Broadway in particular. Second, the singular role that Broadway has played in American theater and its critical role in the New York economy. In focus groups the students will explore the meaning of statistics, such as the percentage of Broadway attendees that are domestic or international tourists versus tri-state area and New York residents. In work sessions with professionals such as the technology and creative consultants of Impact Broadway, students will help to inform the development of visual images and strategies directed at their peers. Students will also explore: the issues surrounding the lack of audience diversity on Broadway and what constitutes a meaningful cultural value proposition to them and their peers; what their entertainment and media expenditures are and how those choices connect them to the economic engines of various industries as well as the development and presentation of cultural product in the marketplace. The students’ expressed values and perceptions will be analyzed and made available to decision makers in the field of Broadway production, advertising and promotion.