About Us:

Youth development through the arts is our focus and the building block of our success. The Asante Children's Theatre of Indianapolis, IN (ACT) is a professional theatre organization committed to preserving the tradition of African and African-American performing arts. Instructors and mentors with ACT use theatre, music, dance and storytelling to develop the life skills of young people. ACT believes that we can help to rescue youth and deter crime by giving them a safe haven, a sense of purpose as well as teaching them life skills. In turn, the youth performers of ACT provide family-friendly entertainment that educates audiences of all backgrounds.

We believe that delinquent behavior is significantly decreased when youth participate in arts programs. We also believe that communication skills are enhanced and the ability to stick with tasks from beginning to end is greatly improved when youth have the opportunity to participate in arts programs. ACT was created as a response to the fact that fewer and fewer school-age youth are being introduced to the arts on a regular basis. In addition, ACT was created so that youth who customarily are not involved in mainstream school-based arts programs would have an alternative.

ACT has three distinct components. These are ACT Prep4Life, ACT Academy and the Asante Touring Company.