Mission :

The mission of the Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance is to support and promote the development and growth of our members by providing resources and information, acting as advocates in the interests of our members and nurturing relationships with the community-at-large.

Vision :

It is our vision that the Alliance is the driving force behind the cultivation of Central Florida performing arts community.

History :

The Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance, located in downtown Orlando, has grown substantially since its inception. Founded in 1998 as the Central Florida Theatre Alliance, the organization responded to a call for leadership among the theatre and cultural community in Central Florida. The Theatre Alliance focused on audience development, artist enhancement and advocacy on behalf of the Central Florida theatre community. Recognizing the thirst for information among artists and producers, the Theatre Alliance developed the Monday Memo, the premiere weekly e-newsletter for auditions, jobs, news and events in the performing arts community. The Theatre Alliance also initiated the Spotlight on Theatre Convention, a gathering place for artists, producers and industry affiliates in Central Florida. The convention enjoyed a five-year run before its segments were divided into separate events in response to member needs.

Originally a part of the convention, an annual audition marathon called Unified Auditions connected producers, directors and talent. Now an event unto itself, Unified Auditions serves over 100 artists annually. During this time, the Theatre Alliance also renovated, managed and offered several theaters at discounted rates providing the theatre community with more opportunity for growth.

During its fifth year, the Alliance made several changes to its mission and operations. In March 2003, the Alliance expanded its focus from strictly theatre to all performing arts, including dance and music. The Alliance subsequently changed its name from the Theatre Alliance to the Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance. The Performing Arts Alliance modified its mission and vision during this time, and now seeks to unite the performing arts by providing information and resources, advocating on behalf of its members and building beneficial relationships within the community.

This transitional year also marked the inception of the Professional Development Workshop Series. The series teaches organizations and artists about current trends and opportunities that affect their success in the arts industry. In 2003, the Performing Arts Alliance began planning a community-wide awareness campaign in response to research that revealed local arts participation rates fall far below the national average.

In 2004,the Alliance established partnerships with United Arts, Orlando CVB and 3C Studios and hired Knight Images to develop the awareness campaign and cultural website, set to launch in 2005.The Alliance also led a collaborative online ticketing system purchase in 2004,making tickets more accessible to performing arts patrons. In 2004,the Alliance opened the renovated Studio Theatre, after making the space more comfortable for audiences and more useful for members. The Performing Arts Alliance has several projects near completion and continues to lead the theatre, dance and music community and seek opportunities for community growth.