Tots 'N' Teens Theatre. A multidisciplinary inner-city nonprofit performing arts agency that serves at-risk youth: Its organizational structure and the impact of the arts administrator

As in the past when communities took responsibility for its children, community leaders today are taking action as the unrest of youth, particularly African American youth, in inner cities continue to rise. Arts organizations are using the performing arts to help foster a sense of pride, ownership, and accountability into the minds of community youth. Youth, through drama, are given an opportunity to view a situation from many perspectives that would cause performers and viewers to think about their personal, family and community situations.;The purpose of this study was to investigate an inner city performing arts program serving inner city African American youth to identify and describe: (1) components of the agency's organizational structure, and (2) the role and impact of the arts administrator. The site studied was Tots 'N' Teens Theatre Inc., located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is an inner city program that uses the performing arts as its medium to involve and positively motivate youth.;Data collection involved interviews, participant observation, document reviews, and fieldnotes. The primary focus, the case study, sought to reveal the essential organizational components: mission, goals, objective, administrative and organizational structure, fiscal resources, program development, and the evaluation process. Each organizational component was identified and described.;The research and case study of Tots 'N' Teens Theatre Inc. concluded that the development of the organization's structure and impact of the administrator is primarily guided by the existing needs of the youth and the community, both individually and collectively. The youth who come with varied backgrounds, issues, and problems, seem to dictate the direction such programs take as they try to meet the needs of this at-risk population.