Left to Right: MNN Board Chair David Shapiro, MNN Sponsor, The Theater Offensive Board member Wesley Thompson, The Theater Offensive True Colors Leadership and Inclusion Council member ViQuan Smith, and Emcee Kristy Lee from NECN.
Photo: MNN
BOSTON, Mass. – The Theater Offensive was recognized by the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network for Excellence in Board Governance at the annual Nonprofit Awareness Day on June 8 at the State House.
The Excellence Award in Board Leadership recognizes a nonprofit board that, through its commitment and leadership, has played a key role in strengthening an organization.
“Effective Board Governance successfully incorporates the voices of youth leaders within the organization and we are honored to receive this award. Many thanks to the Barr Foundation and the Klarman Family Foundation for their support and investment in board development,” said Wesley Thompson, member of the Board of Directors and former TTO Intern.
“Board members and youth collaborate on decisions that affect the youth directly. For example, due to youth encouragement, the Board focused funds and programming on the #BlackLivesMatter movement. This resulted in the development of a new ensemble, BlackOUT, that focuses on the lives of queer youth of color,” said ViQuan Smith, member of True Colors Leadership and Inclusion Council.
The Theater Offensive (TTO) works in Boston neighborhoods to create original and groundbreaking works by, for and about the LGBT community. TTO’s work is OUT In Your Neighborhood, presenting programming that builds upon a history of rich community engagement to create diverse and culturally relevant theater for Boston neighborhood residents and youth in the communities where they live. Since 1989, TTO has been led by founding Executive Artistic Director Abe Rybeck and continues to further its mission “to present the diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation, challenges the status quo, and builds thriving communities.
True Colors Leadership and Inclusion Council is a group of peer-elected youth leaders that guide The Theater Offensive on all youth-related matters and program development.
[From a News Release]
