Laity Theatre Company

Truth and Excellence Through the Visual and Performing Arts

aka Laity Institute of the Arts   |   Palmdale, CA   |  www.laityarts.org

Mission

Provide students of all ages the skills they need in dance, music, drama and art for a lifetime of enjoyment. To achieve this mission Laity focuses on three key areas: Arts Education, Cultural Awareness and Leadership Development.

Ruling year info

1992

Executive Director

Mr. James Goins

Artistic Director

Mrs. Delayna E. Goins

Main address

3053 Rancho Vista Blvd. Ste. H336

Palmdale, CA 93551 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

95-4272193

NTEE code info

Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose (A20)

Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose (A20)

Educational Services and Schools - Other (B90)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-PF.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

The specific problem we have been addressing for 30 years is consistent after school programming in the visual and performing arts. Visual and Performing Arts programs are supposed to be full of enrichment activities which both challenge and educate students in the arts. Some of this should be addressed during the normal school day but as current and former educators the realities of this actually taking place is evident in the fact that there are simply not enough hours in the day to teach the required curriculum and standards within the traditional public school paradigm. This is why Laity began bringing in professional and semi-professional actors to teach acting to the children after school. It soon grew to include all the visual and performing art subjects. It has been a successful collaboration between schools and school districts that understand the importance of a well-rounded education.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Acting Program

This program is designed to give as much exploratory freedom to the participants as possible in a structured environment. Because the essence of acting lies in the simultaneous presence of live actors and spectators, it is important to develop both discipline for the craft as well as spontaneity. It is the decision of the faculty to focus on areas that are basic and elemental to the process which allows a beginner or intermediate student to find real value in the program in order to prepare them for opportunities in film, television or theatre. Classes are divided according to skill and experience as well as age.

Our program will give students an opportunity to explore their acting skills through small film projects, (some weekends needed) staged dramatic and comedy scenes and monologues. We will also provide them with a head shot and demo reel of their acting work at the end of the year at no additional cost!

Courses Taught:
Beginning & Intermediate Acting
Acting for Film & Television
Scene Study
Monologues
Character Development
Musical Theatre
Acting & Audition Techniques

Benefits of LIA's Acting instruction:
Improvisation Skills - Our program provides an opportunity for students to hone their Improvisation skills. Improvisation is the spontaneous response to new and unexpected situations. Life is improvisation. We respond in new ways when spontaneous and unexpected things occur to us.

Playmaking - In Drama, you will be expected to create plays. Playmaking is the process of experimenting with new roles. Through plays, students can re-examine old rules and challenge society’s values and interpretations.

Acting as a Co-operative Process - Students will be asked to participate in group work. This will help them to explore relationships on and off stage. It will help their communication skills and it will help them to make friends.

Personal Benefits - Acting helps with building self-confidence, speaking in public, and developing interpersonal skills. Our program will help your student to be more aware of how their physical presentation can affect the way people see them. Ethically, it provides the motivation to start to evaluate their own values and beliefs.

Acting Influences our Lives - By studying drama’s impact on their culture they can begin to look more critically at what the media is offering them and they can choose whether or not to accept the messages that it gives. At Laity we want our students to study Drama to become intelligent spectators who can distinguish between good and bad drama as well as ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ideologies.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adolescents

LIA Instructors strive for excellence in teaching and communicating the essentials of visual arts to each and every student. Students learn to accept that other's preferences may differ from their own but begin to appreciate multiple artistic solutions and interpretations. Questions asked in response to artwork become more refined and probing. Study of historical and cultural context gives students insight into the role of visual arts as a record of human achievement. As they consider artworks in historical perspective, students begin to gain a clearer understanding of what they themselves value. (Private 1-1 lessons also available.)

Benefits of LIA's Visual Arts Program:
Motor Skills Development
Language Development
Decision Making Skills
Visual Learning
Inventiveness
Cultural Awareness
Improved Academic Performance

Courses Taught in:
Pastels
Charcoal
Watercolors
Sketching
Collage
Acrylics
...and more!

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adolescents

LIA's Animation program prepares students with foundational in-depth training in the essential techniques of 2D animation first. We’ll start with lessons in drawing and character design, along with an introduction to basic anatomy and character design. Once a solid foundation is built, we move on to the other lessons listed below. Laity uses the #1 animation software and Industry standard for 2D animation, Toon Boom!

Courses Taught in:
2D/3D Animation
Drawing and basic anatomy
Character and Object design for animation
Story-boarding
Principles of animation
Acting and movement

Benefits of LIA's Animation Program:
Motor Skills Development
Language Development
Decision Making Skills
Visual Learning\
Inventiveness
Cultural Awareness
Improved Academic Performance

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adolescents

The LIA dance curriculum is a comprehensive program designed to provide a complete study in dance and is aligned to the National Core Arts Standards for grades 3rd through 8th.

Benefits of LIA's Dance Program:
Development of Motor Skills
Increased ability and skill to apply elements of space,
time and force in producing dance sequences
Capacity for centering and shifting body weight and
tension/release in performing the movement for artistic intent
Technical control of body movements
Health and cardio strength
Promotes self-discipline
Boosts self-esteem
Performance opportunities

Courses Available:
Ballet
Hip Hop
Cultural Dance

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adolescents

LIA believes that music classes are a vital part of student academic achievement. The importance of music and fine arts has been debated in school board rooms across the country for several years. As budgets are trimmed and school music programs are cut, this becomes an important question to answer. These music and arts programs are an important component of student learning and success.

LIA has music training programs with lessons for all ages and abilities. Lessons in piano, drums and voice are currently offered at this time. Lessons are designed to meet the needs of each student regardless of skill or level. Each teacher is specialized in the areas they teach and provides caring, focused and excellent guidance on helping each student find and fulfill their musical voice.

Benefits of LIA's Private Music Instruction:
One-on-one instruction geared to individuals needs & goals
Instruction at students pace & teaching materials suited for that student
Regular written evaluations
Encourages music skill development
Theory instruction
Fosters responsibility
Establishes work ethic
Helps children achieve goals with guidance
Gives constructive leisure involvement
Promotes self-discipline
Boosts self-esteem
Performance opportunities


Courses Available:
Piano Lessons Beginner to Advanced - Technique & Theory
Drums Lessons Beginner to Advanced - Technique & Theory
Voice Lessons Beginner to Advanced - Technique & Theory

​

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adolescents

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Our goal since founding LIA has been to give students of all ages and skill levels the chance to explore their creativity through the arts which, in turn, will affect other areas of their lives. Studies have shown time and time again that kids who study the arts at an early age do better in school, score higher on the SAT/ACT, and generally lead more successful lives. We make sure all of our instructors have a strong desire to teach others, and the knowledge and know-how to back it up.

Laity has chosen to use the National Core Arts Standards in Art, Media Arts, Dance, Drama, and Music as a guide to maximizing student’s experience. along with our own proprietary curriculum. We hire teachers who are actively engaged in the areas that they teach, thereby guaranteeing that students are provided with real-world knowledge from those who make their living from their craft.

The responsiveness of Laity is in its ability to change in response to students' and parents demands. Our knowledgeable and skilled staff are what provides us the ability to respond to those demands and remain flexible to changes in our learning environment. Staying up on what is current and vital for the development of our student's Visual and Performing Arts experience comes through cultural and academic exchange through partnerships with other organizations serving in other areas of the arts.

30 plus years of unbroken service to the children and families in Los Angels county. The next phase is to develop a series of charter schools throughout Southern California specifically designed to integrate the arts and sciences into the normal rigor of each student's academic life.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Traditionally underserved communities, of all races, who do not have the financial means or access to engage with arts programming on a consistent basis.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Community meetings/Town halls, Testimonials,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our staff, Our board,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

Financials

Laity Theatre Company
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Laity Theatre Company

Board of directors
as of 2/2/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

James Goins

Laity Theatre Company

Term: 1989 - 2026


Board co-chair

Delayna Goins

Laity Theatre Company

Term: 1989 - 2026

Eric Skaggs

Grades4Good

Dr. Anita Polite

APW Enterprises

Robert Kaufman

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/2/2022,

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Black/African American/African
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Black/African American/African
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 09/06/2020

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.