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(a) Our organization provides assemblies for schools and libraries for the purpose of educating young audiences on multiple levels. We address such topical issues as violence, harassment, substance abuse and addiction, relationships, commitment and perseverance. We promote positive lifestyle choices by teaching such values as acceptance of others, self-esteem, self-expression, exercise, health and personal power. We accomplish this by performing short theatrical vignettes and then encourage audience reaction and participation, followed by an interval for questions, discussion and resolution. Through the medium of Mime, we create powerful images that leave strong and lasting impressions on our audiences. In silence, we communicate with them rather than preach at them.

In our library presentations, we use our craft to promote literacy. Each vignette is presented as a story having leapt from the pages of a book. We also incorporate puppets who encourage reading.

Our assemblies are followed by interactive workshops. In an atmosphere of creative, non-threatening, non-competitive play, we teach the basic skills of Mime. This facilitates a greater sense of self-expression as we explore a range of emotions in physical movement.

We have been giving these workshops for the past three years with success and positive feedback. However, because of academic priorities and limited budgets in our schools, we have limited opportunities to teach. The current focus of education is on basic skills and standardized testing. The arts then suffer from insufficient funding and are considered "luxury items." While basic skills are indeed critical, numerous studies have shown that incorporation of the arts and a greater consideration of a broad range of skills actually improves overall academic performance and constructive behavior in young people. Our goal is to be funded to cover expenses so that we can bring our assemblies to as many schools as possible. We hope to teach from four to eight assemblies per week. (Attachment # 1 is a performance list.) Non-profit association status will enable us to apply for grants from organizations and foundations that support these causes.

Our ensemble presently consists of three artists. We periodically include apprentices in our work and hope to increase our number in the foreseeable future.

2. This association recognizes that the nature of the work requires a great deal of time in rehearsal for creative collaboration, technical perfection and practice, practice, practice. (Attachment #2 is a list of performance vignettes.) For the past four years, the artists have rehearsed on a regular basis, every Friday for four hours, plus additional rehearsals prior to each performance and time after for debriefing. Larger performances in

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theatres, such as the San Diego Actors Festival/Kids’ Night Out, call for additional rehearsal time, three four-hour periods, plus Saturday marathon rehearsals, prior to opening

night. Rehearsals have been conducted primarily in the homes of the artists offering limited space. Proper funding would enable the artists to rent a larger, more accommodating, space for this purpose.

(c) This association also recognizes that the operation requires hours of administration time devoted to it. This includes, but is not limited to: bookkeeping, proposal and grant writing, the creation, editing and delivery of promotional material including photographs, web-page design, archives and other secretarial duties. Presently, the artists are responsible for these duties. The artists now devote at least fifteen hours a week to clerical necessities. Our desire is to hire more professional office help so that more of the artists’ time may be devoted to education, rehearsal and performance.

(d) Additionally, this association recognizes that the endeavor to put on a proper show requires physical amenities. All costume pieces, properties, backdrops and set pieces have thus far been purchased and/or constructed by the artists. This is time consuming, approx. 10-20 hours a month, and costly. Such items do wear out and require periodic laundering, repair and replacement. New scenarios create additional needs. Becoming non-profit would help us to cover these expenses.

(e) Furthermore, this association recognizes that a good performance is not the result of the performers alone. For our performances, we hire technical personnel to control our sound and light cues. In certain venues, we need to rent equipment suitable to the performance space. Our vignettes and dance pieces incorporate background music from a wide range of styles, from classical to ragtime, jazz, rock, techno, African drumming, Celtic, Reggae and more. Such an eclectic musical library is costly and thus far has been provided and paid for by the artists. Becoming non-profit would help us to expand this library.

6. This association mentors other aspiring young artists as apprentices. To date, we have mentored three individual apprentices who are now using their skills as actors and dancers. They have been fully included in our rehearsals and performances. In our community, we have been invited to teach workshops at multiple levels: elementary schools, middle schools, junior and senior high schools as well as colleges. Our ambition is to continue the apprenticeship program and to expand it by offering regular classes and performance opportunities with the possibility of an established school in the foreseeable future.

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2. Our sources of financial support will be as follows:

• Grants from various foundations, civic bodies, arts & literature associations and corporations.
• Revenues from performance venues.
• Fundraising partnerships with other non-profit organizations.
• Charitable donations.

2. In our fundraising endeavors, we have partnered with a local congregation and given a 90-minute performance, How Loud Is Silence?, as a mutual fundraiser. We are in contact with several other congregations for this same purpose. Attachment #3, A, B & C are promotional flyers and show bills. Attachment #4 is a letter of appreciation from Reverend Peggi Garvey for the former. This association is non-sectarian in nature and does not promote or favor a particular creed. We are also in contact with San Diego’s Deaf Community Services and the Children’s Museum of San Diego to partner with them for mutual fundraising performances as well.

The association is a regular participant in the annual PTA Mini-Convention. Although we pay a fee to be included, the convention affords us an opportunity to network with schools and other organizations. A significant portion of our revenues has been the result of contacts made there.

We are learning the skills necessary for successful grant writing through classes and workshops. Our grant proposal to the City of Chula Vista for a Cultural Arts Grant was turned down only because we do not yet have official non-profit status. (Attachment #5 is a copy of this proposal.) Thus far, all foundations offering grants have informed us that they are not able to fund us because we lack this status, but they have strongly encouraged us to apply for it. Several personal associates have also offered their support in the form of charitable donations once we have acquired this status. The Bonita 76 service station has already and will continue to donate the necessary fuel to reach our venue destinations.

This association is listed in the Who’s Who National Registry. The prestige of being listed gives us access to a great many other non-profit organizations and foundations. We have scheduled performances with the California Center for the Arts in their 400-seat theatre for April 2002. We are also listed in their teachers’ manual for the purpose of teacher training in creative drama and curriculum enhancement. This opportunity

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and support from the Center will open up doors for us to perform and teach throughout the state of California.

At this time, we are only able to perform for affluent schools who can spare funds for artistic assemblies. Our desire is to bring our messages and lessons about substance abuse, violence and harassment into urban school settings where they are

greatly needed. Grants, with non-profit status, would enable us to do so. Initially, the artists will write all grant proposals. Eventually, as our performance and teaching duties increase, we would need to hire a professional grant writer to carry out these duties.

In conclusion, non-profit status would open so many doors that are currently closed to us. What we offer to our community is worthwhile and has been very warmly received by our audiences, associates, students, teachers and other artists. The messages that we share, confronting topical issues, are desired and needed in our schools.

Thank you for your time and consideration.