About Us
| Our Method » Our Recognitions » Our Programs » Our Team » Our Impact » |
OUR METHOD
ENACT was founded in 1987 by Diana Feldman, L-CAT, RDT. At the time, Diana, a registered drama therapist, was working with a group of autistic youth when she noticed how they responded to movement and music activities. This sparked the idea that through the use of role-play, a team of artists could tap into students’ feeling and open a dialogue by creating characters that shared the same feelings, particularly those who have difficulty in expressing themselves and communicating positively with others. This initial seed sprouted the ENACT method. Learn about our method »
OUR RECOGNITIONS
ENACT has received the following awards, honors, and acknowledgements:
- The National Association of Drama Therapy’s Research Award, November, 2010
- ENACT’s unique method was recently published in the textbook Current Approaches in Drama Therapy Second Edition (Johnson & Emunah, 2009) in a chapter co-written by ENACT Executive Director and Founder Diana Feldman, ENACT Director of Research & Training Emilie Ward (L-CAT) , and Fara Sussman Jones titled, “The ENACT Method of Employing Drama Therapy in Schools.”
- Through a multi-year grant from the Ford Foundation, independent researchers found that students in ENACT's Partnership Programs demonstrate statistically significant gains in social and emotional development. Learn about our recognitions »
OUR PROGRAMS
ENACT has been an approved vendor of the New York City Department of Education since 1987, and the demand for our specialized creative drama programs continues to grow. Working with only a handful of schools in the early years, ENACT now partners with over 80 schools each year. To date, ENACT has reached over 125,000 students, teachers, school administrators, and parents/caregivers in hundreds of New York City public schools through our individually tailored in-school Student Programs, After-School Programs, Full School Partnerships, Auditorium Performances, Parent & Family Workshops, and Professional Staff Development. Learn about our programs »
OUR TEAM
Our programs promote the social and emotional skills vital to success in and out of the classroom. The key to our success is ENACT’s pioneering combination of theatre activities, reflective role-play, and guided facilitation to address relevant issues school face on a daily basis, such as bullying and peer pressure. Our diverse staff of teaching artists (experienced acting professionals from theatre, film, and television), licensed drama therapists, and social workers work collaboratively with teachers and administrators to create customized programs that address specific concerns, such as high dropout rates, violence, student engagement, and low attendance. Learn about our team »
OUR IMPACT
ENACT actively works to change classroom environments based on our core values:
- To create an environment of respect, trust, safety and kindness.
- To practice non-judgment.
- To work towards our highest potential.
- To validate the creative process.
- To support growth and change through self-awareness.
- To practice positive communication.
- To make conscious choices and accept responsibility for outcomes.
- To create peaceful solutions.
