About Us
Emmy® Award-Winning Filmmaker, Richard T. Wilson on location for the MAPLE AVE series in 2013. (Photo by Jonathan Kolbe)
|
Founded by Emmy® Award-Winning writer/filmmaker, Richard T. Wilson (pictured at left), OutreachArts, Inc. was a nationally recognized film company that worked with various non-profits and their funders to help provide an innovative educational approach to help increase awareness about crucial health and social issues. Since 2001, numerous Wilson-penned productions have not only successfully reached into communities nationwide, but also to those in need around the world. To date, he has had over 70 of his plays and films produced and seen some of this same work featured on ABC World News Tonight, National Public Radio, PBS and The Independent Film Channel.
Shooting the final MAPLE AVE episode, the Emmy® Nominated, 'Turn in the Road' in 2013. (Photo by Jonathan Kolbe)
|
MAPLE AVE |
OutreachArts is probably best known for its critically acclaimed television/video series, MAPLE AVE which focuses on the everyday issues/struggles of teens and their parents. Since 2003, the Emmy® Award-Winning series has reached millions of North American viewers via Public Television, The Independent Film Channel and the classroom every year, regularly 'telling stories' and 'changing lives'.
|
Our History
Photo: Jonathan Kolbe
|
OutreachArts began its life as OutreachPlays, employing theatre as an innovative educational approach to help increase awareness about crucial health and social issues nationwide.
Beginning in the early 1990's, founder Richard T. Wilson tackled such disparate issues as AIDS, breast cancer, drug abuse, parent-teen communication and even bone marrow donation through numerous short plays and related community workshops throughout the United States. During this time, OutreachPlays' work was also the recipient of many community and theatre-related honors and awards (including four prestigious Barrymore Award nominations via his work with NJ's Ritz Theatre Company). During this time, Wilson saw a number of his plays staged in NYC and was even asked to share his AIDS awareness dramas like *'Blind Side' with groups from as far away as Cape Town, South Africa. Over time though, more and more organizations began asking for video adaptations of his acclaimed work and Wilson gradually began moving the company in the direction of film & television - and OutreachArts! *'Blind Side' © - AIDS Coalition of SNJ OUR PARTNERS... Our partners, helping us get the various awareness messages out to those in need, have included: Ortho Biotech Bayer Pharmaceutical Bristol-Myers Squibb Johnson & Johnson Purdue Pharma L.P. Liposome Pharmaceutical Fox Chase Cancer Center AIDS Coalition of SNJ Saint Barnabas Health Systems American Heart Association American Diabetes Association American Cancer Society Oncology Nursing Society, Philadelphia Chapter Leukemia Society of America, Eastern PA Chapter Kennedy Early Intervention Program Kennedy Gerontology Services Aetna/U.S. Healthcare Susan G. Komen Foundation Genesis Health Systems NSABP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project) Council On Compulsive Gambling Of NJ Living Beyond Breast Cancer Lakeland Youth Detention Center River Front State Prison NJ Dept. of Health & Senior Services ColumbiaCare Services John Amos Cancer Center Looking Glass Youth & Family Services Nevada Council On Problem Gambling The Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ, Inc. EDC The Carson J Spencer Foundation Regis University notMYkid FBI Citizen's Academy Alumni Association of AZ The Tennessee Department of Mental Health New York Council on Problem Gambling Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program Nebraska Gamblers Assistance Program & PBS Affiliates nationwide! |