Why We Started Threefold Artists

Every nonprofit has an origin story. Ours began with a simple question.

Why does access to live performing arts depend on where you live, what you earn, and whether your body will carry you to a theatre?

Performing arts organisations in greater Los Angeles — and around the world — do extraordinary work. They produce world-class theatre, music, and dance. They build beautiful venues. They train remarkable artists. They create experiences that genuinely change people's lives.

But they are, almost without exception, built on a model that requires the audience to come to the art. Buy a ticket. Drive to a venue. Find parking. Sit in a seat designed for a body without significant mobility limitations. Stay for two hours. Drive home.

For a large portion of the population, this model simply does not work.

The People We Were Thinking About

We were thinking about the 85-year-old woman in a care home in Koreatown who grew up attending the theatre and has not been to a performance in twelve years — not because she stopped loving it, but because she can no longer get there.

We were thinking about the patient in a long-term rehabilitation unit who spends most of his days staring at a ceiling, waiting for the physical therapy sessions that break the monotony.

We were thinking about the children in under-resourced schools whose arts programs have been cut, who have never seen live theatre or a professional musician perform.

We were thinking about the people in shelters who are often made to feel invisible — who are not typically the target audience for any performing arts organisation.

The Answer We Came To

The answer was simple, even if the execution is complex: go to them.

We recruit performing artists who are willing to volunteer their time and skills. We connect them with venues that serve communities in need. We handle all the logistics. We show up. We perform. We leave. And we come back.

That is Threefold Artists. That is where we started, and that is where we are going.

If you are a performing artist who believes that your craft belongs to everyone, not just to those who can afford a ticket — we want to hear from you.

If you run a facility that would love to bring live arts to the people you serve — we want to hear from you too.

As you give, you return threefold.