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Organizational History |
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Voices In Harmony was conceived by Co-Founder Chris Murphy in a 1995 Self-Expression and Leadership seminar. Inspired to create a community project, Chris approached his friends David Ackert and Melissa Fitzgerald who shared his belief that theater is a powerful tool for building self-esteem and self-expression. Together they set out to create a community project that would pair at-risk teens with adults in a unique collaborative experience to be shared with a larger audience through theater. The first program involved 13 teenagers identified by HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles Youth), Echo Park Boys and Girls Club and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The participants were multi-cultural, mostly from low-income families and not necessarily interested in the arts or theater. There were no auditions for the young participants. The teenagers were selected based on their willingness to follow the program’s guidelines and to tell their story to the Los Angles community. The initial program was focused around the theme of tolerance and crossing cultural barriers. This was in reaction to the founders’ concerns about the numerous issues that divide Los Angeles residents – race, culture, religion, income, age, geography, etc. The project was designed to pair two people who would otherwise never meet and give them an opportunity to share the very personal experience of creating and telling a story together. Each participating young adult was matched with an adult mentor. These paired teams came together on a weekly basis between August 1995 – January 1996 to take part in workshops that explored stereotyping, racism, communication, story structure and performance. The first production premiered over a two-week period in January 1996 at the Tiffany Theater. Approximately 1,000 people attended the performances, including young people bussed in from other local nonprofit groups as well as people who had never before attended the theater. The audiences represented the multi-faceted population of the city. One of the shows was hosted by actress Alfre Woodard, and the project was featured by the Los Angeles Times and CNN. The show had a very powerful effect on the teens and adult participants involved and gave Voices in Harmony instant credibility. The three Co-Founders became concerned that ending the project would have negative ramifications for the kids who had become so deeply involved. This concern, combined with the project’s success, led them to move forward, turning the project into a program and preparing for another production. The Co-Founders met with leading mentoring organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Fulfillment Fund to gather ideas on how to improve the program. They implemented a minimum GPA requirement for teens along with a tutoring program to help with grades, began a more effective alumni program for past participants, and vastly improved their screening and training processes. They also formed a formal board and secured 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. In January 1997, just after their second production at the Coronet Theater, Co-Founder Chris Murphy moved to Chicago and was therefore no longer able to play a leadership role in the organization. Co-Founders David Ackert and Melissa Fitzgerald remained committed to leading Voices in Harmony. During the summer of 1997, Voices in Harmony and the Fulfillment Fund decided to collaborate to produce a show focused around the theme of drug education. This partnership culminated in the third production, which was a resounding success with strong participation, attendance and positive response. In the beginning of 1999, Voices in Harmony developed a Leadership Program for their performance “alumni” to empower them to create a community project in their own lives. Both teens and mentors from previous productions participated. The Leadership Program consisted of seven weekly workshops and a community service project wherein the group shared original writings with residents at a convalescent home. Following the Leadership Program, Voices in Harmony leadership addressed the fact that theatrical productions limited their direct outreach teens by creating a film that could be shown to audiences all over. Working in partnership with the Fulfillment Fund, a 60-minute film entitled “Listen” was produced, highlighting three performance pieces from the third show and interspersed with interviews of students and mentors. The film stresses the dangers of drug abuse and the importance of mentorship. The Fulfillment Fund hosted the premiere of “Listen” in November 2000 at 20th Century Fox where it was well received by all young people and adults in attendance. Voices in Harmony is currently working with the Fulfillment Fund to identify mass distribution channels for the film, particularly the public high school market, PBS and cable channels. Voices in Harmony’s next theatrical production will be in partnership with the Fulfillment Fund and is slated to begin preparation in the Fall of 2001. Voices in Harmony
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