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Welcome to Encore Stage & Studio!
This is an exciting time for Encore, a unique children’s theatre based in Northern Virginia, as we approach and plan for our 50th anniversary. Since 1967, Encore has served children and families by providing the highest possible quality arts education and production programming. Today, we continue to achieve artistic and educational success through our classes, camps, and productions. In January 2014, The Little Mermaid Jr. became the best-selling show in Encore’s history, with 4,432 patrons attending eight performances. We are continually expanding our outreach to underserved communities, most recently through a partnership with Arlington’s Nauck Community Services Center. We are also expanding our geographic reach, with classes at new locations in Alexandria, Falls Church, and Manassas, VA, and even a day trip to the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA. This season we will serve approximately 14,500 young people and their families, including almost 1,550 students who directly participate in our production and education programs. We believe, however, that the best is yet to come. There are approximately 34,000 youth under the age of 18 in Arlington County, and tens of thousands more in nearby communities. It is our intention to grow with this population, as we believe that participating in live theatre provides critically important benefits for young people. Theatre builds teamwork, leadership, creativity, accountability, literacy, problem-solving skills, selfconfidence, and a host of other important life skills which help children to become more caring, confident, competent, and socially-engaged adults. This Strategic Plan for 2015 - 2020 is Encore’s roadmap for expanding access to those skills to a growing population of youth. The Encore Board of Directors produced this Strategic Plan using input from stakeholder focus groups, a Board retreat, and many hours of discussion. We received input from participants of both our production and education programs, parents of participants, Board members, former Board members, staff, and community members. This Strategic Plan sets three aspirational Focus Areas: Create an Exceptional Organization, Ensure Appropriate Facilities, and Develop Spectacular Programming which each contribute to one overarching goal of Serving More Children in More Places in More Ways. These Focus Areas reflect our Mission, Vision, and Values, which guide everything that we do. We hope that you share our excitement about the possibilities for Encore’s future. We invite you to visit our website at www.encorestage.org to learn about the many ways in which you can join the Encore community, and to share your hopes for Encore’s future with us at info@encorestage.org
Jerry Gidner, President Encore Stage & Studio Board of Directors
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Mission
Encore Stage & Studio’s mission is to build life-long appreciation for live theatre by involving young people in all aspects of theatre arts -- onstage, backstage, in the classroom, and in the audience.
Vision
Encore Stage & Studio is the artistic home for young people in the Washington, DC area, and a national leader in children’s theatre. We are an incubator of young talent providing challenging and diverse opportunities in the arts.
Values
We Love Theatre. Theatre has the unique power to enrich the lives of young people by using imagination to explore big ideas. We strive to be an ambassador for the arts in our community, by providing wholesome, family entertainment at affordable prices. We are cultivating the next generation of artists and patrons. Kids Come First. Children are at the heart of our mission, and we believe they have a vital role to play in the larger artistic community. Encore empowers, respects, and mentors children, offering them opportunities for artistic expression and growth in a nurturing environment. We Expect Excellence. We are professionals onstage and off. Encore acts with integrity and produces quality productions and classes. We expect 110% from everyone, every time. We teach our participants the life skills they need to succeed as citizens. We Encourage Inclusiveness. We value unique perspectives and believe that an artistic community is enhanced through diversity of all types. Encore is a safe place where children can express themselves. We Connect Communities. We are a hub of excitement, with the goal of connecting our participants and our audiences with the community at large. Alliances with other organizations strengthen the fabric of our community. Education Empowers. Theatre is the medium we use to foster creativity and promote reading and critical thinking. We believe our classes and productions complement and enrich in-school learning. We Build Leaders. We know that leadership makes a difference. We give our participants the poise and confidence to develop as leaders, while encouraging peer mentorship and teamwork.
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Encore Stage & Studio Strategic Vision
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Focus Area 1: Create an Exceptional Organization Goal 1: Recruit and Retain Outstanding Staff Our success is highly dependent on our staff and we continually look for ways to make Encore a preferred place to work for performing arts professionals.
Goal 2: Continue to Enhance Board Expertise, Effectiveness, and Diversity Our Board sets our strategic direction and establishes vital links to the community. It is important that the Board works well, has expertise in various strategic areas, and represents the diverse communities that we serve.
Goal 3: Celebrate Encore’s 50th Anniversary in 2017 We are ecstatic that Encore is celebrating 50 years of high quality theater for children in 2017, and we are planning a year long celebration.
Goal 4: Expand Development Efforts We have doubled our development income in the past few years, but as we grow, we will need to make sure Encore’s development efforts continue to expand.
Goal 5: Continually Improve Risk Management Efforts The safety of our participants and patrons is of paramount importance to Encore. We continually strive to improve our practices to make Encore a safe place for young people to thrive.
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Focus Area 2: Ensuring Appropriate Facilities Goal 6: Create a Facilities Planning Committee Securing appropriate facilities are an ongoing priority for Encore and we will dedicate Board resources to planning for our facilities needs.
Goal 7: Identify Facility Space Needs We intend to work with our various stakeholders to determine the optimal facilities for Encore.
Goal 8: Identify Possible Facilities Locations Encore is excited by the possibilities of several development corridors in Arlington, and believes we can be a vibrant addition to any neighborhood.
Goal 9: Identify and Evaluate Implementation Options In planning for new facilities, Encore intends to work with government, developers, and other non-profits, to explore every option.
Goal 10: Prepare Options and Cost Estimates for Board Consideration Encore’s Board intends to make a data driven decision about future facilities based on rigorous analysis of our options.
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Focus Area 3: Develop Spectacular Programs Goal 11: Build Outcomes-Based Curricula for Educational Programs As we expand our educational programs, it is important that our learning objectives be rigorous and consistent.
Goal 12: Protect our Intellectual Property Encore is a creative organization, and as we grow we realize that our creations are valuable assets that we need to protect.
Goal 13: Develop a Plan for Potential Expansion of Programs and Geographic Locations Encore has grown considerably in the last few years, but we are poised for even more growth. It is important to us to grow strategically, without compromising quality.
Goal 14: Develop an Expanded Participant Awards System Encore has long rewarded students who perform in our productions, but many more students participate in our educational programs. We plan to devise a program to recognize our educational program participants for their achievements.
Goal 15: Expand Outreach to Underserved Communities We believe there is a huge opportunity, and equal obligation, to serve young people beyond our traditional audience, including minority and special needs populations.
Goal 16: Enhance Our Artistic Reputation Although we serve young people, we believe Encore is every bit a professional theater company. Moving forward, we intend to demonstrate that by participating more fully in the larger performing arts community.
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Board of Directors Jerry Gidner, President Josephine Diemond, Vice President Ashby Rushing, Secretary Christine Hahn, Treasurer Karol Boudreaux Melissa Huston Mary Grace Mandaro Renee McDonald Michael Rollin Nancy Ory Mike Thornsbury Kate Thomas Jason Tate
Staff Sara Strehle Duke, Executive Director Susan A. Keady, Artistic Director Caroline Schreiber, Programs Manager Aileen Pangan, Marketing Manager Kelsey Meiklejohn, Programs Associate Rebecca Pfeil, Programs Associate Leigh Troutman, Registrar Claire Wade, Bookkeeper www.encorestage.org Office: 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA 22206 Mailing Address: PO Box 969 Arlington, VA 22216 703.548.1154 info@encorestage.org Published September 2014