Contact details:

Stichting InterActing
Rozengracht 117
1016 LV Amsterdam
Telephone: +31 (0)20 2170400
Mobile: +31 (0) 653 671652 (Saskia Maas)
E-mail: saskia@boomchicago.nl
Website: interacting@amsterdam.nl
KvK-number: 72157844
RSIN: 859009026
Statutory seat: Amsterdam
Date of deed of incorporation: 07-16-2018

Statutory objective

Young people face a social world that is changing rapidly. Adaptability and being able to switch quickly are crucial skills here. For young people with autism, this is much more difficult – as they want structure, repetition and predictability. This makes building a social life and finding connection with others a lot harder.

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 aim of the Foundation is:

• Conceiving, developing and performing theatre and improvisation programs for teenagers and young adults with autism and/or other disabilities that present communication challenges;
• devising and developing theater and improvisation programs for parents of and for schools and training institution for teenagers and young adults with autism and/or other disabilities that present communication challenges;
• The Foundation does not aim to make a profit.

The Foundation seeks to achieve its objective by, among other things:

• Offering improvisational theatre courses by Boom Chicago Academy trainers at the Boom Chicago Theater.
• Offering improvisational theatre courses by Boom Chicago Academy trainers at special education schools.
• Speaking publicly about this specific target group;
• Advising third parties, engaging other experts.

Outline InterActing Policy Plan and Activities

Mission & Vision
InterActing arose from the ambition of Saskia Maas and Pim Donkersloot to apply the lessons they learned from, respectively, running improvisational theater Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and running the organization ChildCenter, which provides treatment and counselling for children on the autistic spectrum, to the specific target group of young people aged 12 to 25. Both founders have children on the autism spectrum themselves, which has given them a lot of experience and knowledge about the social lives 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

• Eight-week courses are organised for which young people can enrol. The groups are deliberately kept small, i.e. a maximum of 14 participants per course. The courses are bilingual, in English and Dutch.
• Programs are offered at special education secondary schools.
• Contributions are made to conferences and meetings where knowledge and experience are shared.
• Work is under way to establish the Julia Award, an annual prize presented to a young person with a distinct talent in the field of arts and culture.

Organization

Founders:

• Saskia Maas
• Pim Donkersloot

The Board:

• President: Irene Koel
• Treasurer: Tomer Zakai
• Secretary: Alexander Jansen
• Board member: Davide Tararbra

Advisory Council:

• Dr. Jill Adler
• Kevin Walton
• Pim Donkersloot
• Lizz Kemery

The board of InterActing is unpaid.