An Alliance of Art and Science
Helping veterans, at risk youth, the mentally ill and senior citizens.
WHAT’S NEW:
Video Promo of our recent play, “Dusty Trails”. CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
VICTORIA STEVENS, PhD, FIPA new research report 2024!!!
Christina Linhardt on KTLA promoting “Gumbo Magic”
NEW DIRECTIONS and IWs’ new film, “TRAIN TIME”
(Please note: all participants and artists had been vaccinated)
CLICK BUTTON BELOW TO VIEW VIDEOS
OUR UPCOMING PLAY!!
We are proud to present, "The 1922 New York World’s Fair", an original play written and performed by Veterans of New Directions & The Imagination Workshop
WHEN: June 14, 2025 - 8:00pm
WHERE: Brentwood School Theater
100 S. Barrington Place
Los Angeles, CA 90049
** East Gate (where Chayote meets Barrington Place, South of Sunset)
FREE ADMISSION
Please RSVP: imaginationws@gmail.com
About Imagination Workshop
Imagination Workshop, located at the Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, is a world-renowned dramatic arts program in which veterans, psychiatric patients, at-risk youth and other disenfranchised individuals engage in a series of workshops culminating in writing, directing and acting in plays under the guidance of specially trained theatre artists with the result of experiencing positive, lasting behavioral changes.
Our Research
Theatre
IW’s unique and effective use of theater and poetry to reach those long considered beyond the hope of traditional treatment has produced striking and encouraging results. Research conducted by the Semel Institute indicated that those patients who participated in IW (as opposed to traditional role-playing exercises) showed a “significantly greater” change. between pre- and post-test Global Assessments, with a higher improvement score.
Writing
In a recent study, Dr. Lynn Fairbanks demonstrated that patients who participated in the Imagination Workshop treatment had an average improvement of 38% in their social, occupational and psychological functioning, while patients in the traditional role play groups had a 22% improvement. (see figure to the left)
Therapeutic Benefits
Dr. Fairbanks concluded that Imagination Workshop is "a valuable program with demonstrated therapeutic benefits for patients with serious psychiatric disorders."
"TRAIN TIME"
A short film written and acted by veterans at New Directions for Veterans and our lovely IW artists.
(Please note: all participants and artists had been vaccinated)
Our Sponsors and Supporters
Metabollic Studio |Annenberg Foundation |Parsons Foundation |Wells Fargo Foundation |Drown Foundation |Buntzman Foundation |National Endowment for the Arts |Los Angeles County Performing Arts Commission |City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department |California Arts Council Parish | Shea & Boyle, LLP |Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan , Daniel Balaban, Balaban & Spielberger, LLP
Contact
Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Email
imaginationws@gmail.com
Phone
310.206.8067