PHX Stages Spotlight: Act One Foundation

By Gil Benbrook

Founded in 2011, The Phoenix based Act One Foundation provides access to the arts for members of the community who otherwise may not be able to afford it.  They champion this through two special programs that open the doors to Arizona's performing arts and cultural destinations: Field Trips to the visual and performing arts for Arizona's underserved schools and a Culture Pass program for library card holders in the Phoenix metropolitan area and other cities across the state that provide free admission or tickets for two people at participating arts and cultural institutions.

Chris Hamby, Director Of Education And Outreach for Theater Works / Youth Works in Peoria says "Act One is such an important organization in the Valley. They are working to expose students to the arts and educate them that a theater experience is much more than just watching a performance on stage." Greg Stanton, Mayor of the City Of Phoenix adds, "Arts education for children is critical to developing well-rounded adults. Learning to appreciate and express our common humanity and different cultures gives meaning to life... Act One's work in engaging young students in the arts can transform and change the trajectory of lives."

Field Trips For School Children

The experience of attending a live theatrical performance is something that, unfortunately, many students rarely have the opportunity to witness.  That joy of watching a live performance and being part of an audience is one of the biggest benefits to Act One's Field Trip program.

Act One provides various learning opportunities for students and teachers in Title 1 Schools through these educational trips. They are hands-on to result in engaging, lasting and meaningful experiences.  All trips are aligned with Arizona’s Core Curriculum and include in-depth study guides, pre and post workshops, and teacher development centered around the specific event.  These learning tools enhance the cultural experience and make the trip a special opportunity to get out of the classroom to see a live performance or explore a garden or museum. Act One has served nearly 10,000 students since September with more than 10,000 more students set to receive educational field trips by the end of the school year in May.

In the 2013-2014 school year Act One field trips served over 24,000 students from 175 schools at 23 performances.  All students came from Title 1 schools.  Field trip destinations included Valley Youth Theater’s Jungle Book, Arizona Theater Company’s The Mountaintop, Ballet Arizona’s The Nutcracker, and Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Concert Can Music Change the World.

Many students in Title 1 Schools haven't had field trips in many years. Many of the teachers that participate in the Act One trips work with their students beforehand to study specific arts related topics, such as dance vocabulary. This way when a class attends a performance like a recent tip to see a performance from the Dance Theatre of Harlem at ASU Gammage they are able to better understand and comprehend what they are seeing which results in the students being even more motivated and inspired.

Students from 65 schools throughout Maricopa and Pima counties have had the chance to attend events such as The Arizona Opera, Phoenix Symphony, Desert Botanical Garden and ASU Gammage. To wrap up 2014, Act One hosted more than 2,000 students from 18 schools at the December 18 performance of Ballet Arizona’s The Nutcracker.

“For the students we serve this is often their very first experience with a live performance. Act One is filling a niche in Title 1 schools that have little to no arts programming by providing tangible arts education and the opportunity to attend the theater. Without this program these schools do not have the resources to pay for tickets and transport their students to and from museums and theaters. Students are energized and inspired by the experience and their teachers see a difference in the classroom,” says Megan Jeffries Executive Director of Act One Foundation.

If you know of a school or classroom that would benefit from an arts field trip you can contact Act One at this link.   If you are a teacher at a Title 1 school and would like to participate in the Act One Field Trip program, click here to download the 2014-15 field trip calendar and reservation form.

Culture Pass 

The second way that Act One opens the doors to Arizona’s performing arts and cultural destinations is through their Culture Pass program.

The Act One Culture Pass offers library cardholders complimentary admission, or tickets for two people, to a participating cultural destination or the ability to attend a theater performance by “checking out” a pass at their favorite local library. The Culture Pass is available in many public libraries across Maricopa County.  Click here for more information on the Act One Culture Pass

Participating Libraries:

Passes are available for check out at:

Apache Junction Public Library
Buckeye Public Library
Chandler Public Library
Desert Foothills Library (Cave Creek)
Glendale Public Library
Mesa Public Library
Peoria Public Library
Phoenix Public Library
Sedona Public Library
Scottsdale Public Library
Tempe Public Library
Arizona State University’s Downtown Library
Arizona State University’s Fletcher Library (West)
Arizona State University’s Hayden Library (Tempe)
Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Library (East)

Museums, Cultural Attractions and Venues that are available on Culture Pass:

Arboretum at Flagstaff*  (Closed till May 2015)
Arcosanti-Cordes Junction
Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park
Arizona Science Center
Bonelli House*
Cave Creek Museum
Challenger Space Center Arizona
Children's Museum of Phoenix
Deer Valley Rock Art Center
Desert Botanical Garden
Desert Caballeros Western Museum
Heard Museum
Lowell Observatory*
Mohave Museum*
Phoenix Art Museum
Pioneer Museum*
Phoenix Zoo
Pueblo Grande Museum
Rosson House Museum
Route 66 Museum*
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art: SMoCA
Sedona Heritage Museum*
Superstition Mountain Museum

*Available at the Sedona Public Library only

To learn more about the Act One Foundation, please visit act1az.org.