Statements

Mission

Providing opportunities for adults with special needs to gain education in the arts and perform significant roles in integrated performances, enabling them to enhance their social skills through artistic expression and to grow in confidence both on and off the stage.

Background

Backlight started in the upstairs processing center of Our Thrift Store, a business designed to employ people with special needs. It wasn't for any grand purpose or intent, it was just a glimmer of an idea of something that could possibly bring happiness to some people's lives. But, after the response to our first little show, we realized we were on to something truly remarkable that could touch the hearts of both those with and without special needs. Our first production was rehearsed in a thrift store, had a cast of 11 performers, and took place in a children's classroom at a local church for an audience of no more than 40 people, yet that little rendition of "Cinderella" brought people to tears of joy. Over the years, we have learned and grown together to make Backlight into something that our community wants and needs, and had the privilege of officially becoming a non-profit in 2013. Today our students are being taught in real studio space, perform shows with casts up to 40, and perform in large theaters for audiences up to 500 while we watch in wonder at what this "glimmer of an idea" has become.

Impact

Backlight Productions is a theater arts program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The program offers quality education in the Arts by hosting a variety of classes that specialize in Theatre, Music, Dance and Creative Movement. Each of these educational courses concludes with a unique and inclusive performance opportunity. In these productions, performing artists with IDD are considered worthy of and gain the experience of playing leading/significant roles alongside local professionals and youth performers.

The mission of Backlight strives to meet needs in two primary areas:
1. Providing services to the IDD community through further education, consistent community, strengthening social skills, and creating unique opportunities that show respect to artists with IDD, increases their confidence and allows them to perform the roles they always dreamed of.
2. Using the stage to promote inclusion, kindness, understanding and empathy for the IDD community amongst the general public. By making every performance inclusive, Backlight gives individuals in the community opportunities to work side by side with someone with disabilities, getting to know them on a personal level, forming friendships, and using their gifts to put someone ELSE in the spotlight.

Needs

Backlight needs outlets to better inform the public about the program and all that it is doing in the community. With so many quality classes and performance opportunities being created, help is needed to spread the word to fill both classrooms and audience seats. Backlight is also always in search of artists in all theater arts fields who are interested in volunteering to use their talents to help spotlight people with IDD in the arts.

CEO Statement

I chose the name "Backlight Productions" because of what a physical "backlight" is and is used for. Backlights are lights used to shine BEHIND an actor to: 1. Keep him/her from blending into the background 2. To showcase the actors purity and innocence. MY VISION FOR BACKLIGHT AS A COMPANY IS THAT THOSE INVOLVED WOULD ACT AS BACKLIGHTS TO OUR PERFORMERS AND STUDENTS.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Human Services  - Developmentally Disabled Services/Centers
Secondary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Theater
Tertiary Category:	Education  - Special Education

Areas Served

Middle Tennessee

TN - Williamson