Contact details:

Stichting InterActing
Rozengracht 117 1016 LV Amsterdam
Telephone: +31 (0)20 2170400
Mobile: +31 (0)653 671652 (Saskia Maas)
Email: saskia@boomchicago.nl
Website: interacting@amsterdam.nl
KvK-number: 72157844
RSIN: 859009026
Registered Office: Amsterdam
Date of incorporation: 16-7-2018

Statutory Objective:

Introduction
Young people face a social world that is changing rapidly. Adaptability and the ability to change quickly are crucial skills in this regard. For young people with autism, this is much more difficult – they want structure, repetition, predictability. Building a social life and finding connection with others becomes a lot harder because of this.
Improvisational theater is a form of theater where no script is used. Yet it is based on a number of strategies that are very applicable for increasing the social flexibility of young people with autism. From being able to quickly build on each other’s ideas, to responding to the other person’s acted emotions, improvisation skills are just as applicable in everyday life.

The purpose of the Foundation is:

• To conceive, develop and perform theater and improvisation programs for teens and young adults with autism and/or other disabilities that present communication challenges;
• to conceive and develop theater and improvisation programs for parents of and for schools and training institution for teens and young adults with autism and/or other disabilities that present communication challenges;
• the purpose of the Foundation is not to make a profit.

The Foundation seeks to accomplish its purpose by, among other things:

• Offering improvisational theater courses by the trainers of the Boom Chicago Academy at the Boom Chicago Theatre.
• Offering improvisational theater courses by the trainers of the Boom Chicago Academy at special education schools.
• Public speaking about this specific target group;
• Advising third parties, engaging other experts.

Outline Inter-Acting Policy Plan and Activities.

Mission & Vision

InterActing originated from the ambition of Saskia Maas and Pim Donkersloot to apply the lessons learned from, respectively, running improvisation theater Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and running the organization ChildCenter, which offers treatment and guidance to children from the autistic spectrum, to the specific target group of adolescents aged 12 to 25. Both founders have children on the autism spectrum themselves, so they have gained a lot of experience and knowledge about the social life of young people with autism. Now the ambition is to use that knowledge and experience for an organization where, through a hands-on approach, the social skills of children with autism are enriched.

Activities

• 8-week courses are organized for which young people can register.
  The groups are deliberately kept small, so a maximum of 14 participants per course. The courses are bilingual, in English and Dutch.
• Programs are offered at secondary schools for special education.
• Contributions are made to conferences and meetings where knowledge and experience are are shared.
• Work is underway to establish the Julia Award, an annual prize to be awarded to a young person with a pronounced talent in the field of art and culture.