Title: Promoting Inclusion through free and discounted tickets

Presenters: Bonnie S. Kaplan, Director of Cultural Access
		  	bsk@vsamass.org
  Charles J. Washburn, Executive Director
   	cjwashburn @vsamass.org
   VSA arts of Massachusetts
   China Trade Center
   2 Boylston Street
   Boston, MA  02116

   617-350-7713 (Voice)
   617-350-6836 (TTY)
   617-482-4298 (Fax)

Level: Intermediate

Type of Session: Round Table

Session Strand: Inclusion

Session Track: Affiliate and Partners Staff (Interested board members welcome)

Session Description:  Participants will learn how VSA arts of Massachusetts adapted the model created by Artreach in Philadelphia for building relationships between cultural program presenters and human service organizations.   Participants will learn about the essential elements of the ticket exchange programs and how they work in both Philadelphia and Boston. 

Content Description:

Participants will receive an overview of the two model programs and the types of relationships that can be developed between cultural organizations and human service organizations.  The presenters will describe the orientation of participating organizations, how the tickets are exchanged and how technology is used to support the program.  We will cover volunteer recruitment and training, cultivating ticket donations and how to support participation by participants and staff from group homes and other community based programs.

The presenters will cover program costs, fund raising and volunteer recruitment and training. Participants will get copies of training material and program procedures.

Learner Outcomes:

1) Participants will understand the elements of a free or discounted ticket program.
2) Participants will consider the possibility of introducing a similar program in their community and what resources they would need.

Source of Information:

In 1997 VSA arts of Massachusetts adapted a program model developed by Artreach Inc in Philadelphia and created Boston ARTreach.  

ARTREACH TICKETING PROGRAM 
ARTREACH, Inc. obtains donated and significantly discounted performing arts and museum tickets and distributes them to participating agencies and schools serving special needs audiences. 
ARTREACH's audiences benefit from the generosity of over one hundred Delaware Valley ticket donors. Performing arts and museum tickets are available throughout the year, on weekdays and weekends, to many exciting music, dance, theater and museum events for both children and adults. ( Some examples of recent events are: "Sleeping Beauty" - PA. Ballet, "The Secret Garden - Peoples Light & Theater Company, Tchaikovsky Spectacular by the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts and Participatory visual arts workshops at the PA. Academy of the Fine Arts.) 

In Boston we focus our work on building relationships between cultural organizations like the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science and community and professional theaters and community based human service providers whose participants would not otherwise be able to take part in Boston's rich cultural offerings.  Boston ARTreach has support from The Boston Foundation and the Boston Cultural Agenda Fund.

