INSPIRE THEATRE PROJECT
a one-of-a-kind neurodiverse performing arts program for children and adults with developmental and intellectual Disabilities
ITP was established in 2014 by Executive Director Maria Banda-Rodaz and offers a specially designed and adaptive curriculum to students ages 5 through adult. Services include group and private classes (voice, dance, acting) and musical productions, on site and at partner locations in Miami-Dade County. While its primary purpose is to provide such students with high-quality training in the performing arts, the benefits that ITP offers also stretch far beyond the stage. This program serves as an important gateway to autonomy and independence, and ultimately to living a more productive and fulfilling life. So often, participants like those served by ITP are negatively defined by their differences and disadvantages; but when they are instead embraced for their unique strengths and abilities, the sky truly is the limit as far as what is possible.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Making a Difference with Song and Dance
ITP is a one-of-a-kind theater training program designed to empower students with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Our unique methodology is focused solely on our student's progress, allowing instructors to tailor their approach based on each student's unique needs and abilities.
Empowering Our Community
The ITP program serves over 350 student actors from across South Florida who are eager to expand their talents.
ITP-trained coaches also travel to local partner schools to provide on-site outreach classes for individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore and access their abilities through the arts.
WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED,
AND WHY IT MATTERS
Both we at ASC and the families of our students have often been amazed by the progress these children can make when treated with respect and professionalism rather than condescension or disdain. Nine students who began our program mute have emerged singing, and plenty of others have made new friends, discovered new talents, and gained a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute to the creation of a genuinely incredible work of theatre.
Access to the healing power of creativity and self-expression should never be limited to those who measure up to a certain standard; and often, those who are the least conventional are among those who have the most to gain from having an artistic outlet. As one student put it,
“What ITP means to me is life”— yet the students themselves are not the only ones who benefit. The families of the students who make great strides in ITP may also reap a great many rewards from watching their children’s progress, and the neurotypical conservatory students who get a chance to work with ITP actors during the course of our productions are also afforded the opportunity to learn empathy and acceptance through their experience.
Finally, the program’s existence is also to the benefit of the community as a whole. Along with the chance to showcase their efforts in our productions, our ITP students also get the chance to share their talents with the wider world at an average of ten events per year in our community outreach performances.
Previously, these performances have taken place at events including the Coral Gables Arts Festival, the All Kids Included Family Arts Festival, and ArtsLaunch at the Arsht Center, to name just a few.
Along with allowing for further engagement for our students, events like these can serve to make audiences more understanding of the obstacles faced by students with special needs, as well as more aware of the capacity of disabled individuals to transcend those obstacles and serve as valuable members of our community. And we hope that this, in turn, can eventually help make that community a more accepting one overall.
“ITP has been a blessing for my daughter. She’s becoming more social every day, and each ITP production helps her become more confident. Her self esteem has been healing and she’s becoming a much better person, more capable of doing things, more independent. ”
- ITP Parent
ENROLL IN our ITP classes!
Intro to MusicAL Theatre: ITP Kids
(6 - 11 yrs)
Thursdays 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Step into the world of musical theatre in this fun and engaging introductory class! Neurodiverse young performers will build foundational skills in singing, dancing, and acting, all within a supportive environment designed to nurture creativity and confidence on stage.
$120/month
Enrollment is closed for Spring 2026
RAD BALLET CLASS
(AGES 11+)
Thursdays 5:00 - 7:00 PM
With a curriculum created by the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), a world leader in dance education and training, this class strengthens creativity, musicality and technique through ballet for students of all abilities.
$140/month
ITP Adult Acting
(18+ yrs)
Thursdays 7:30 - 8:30 PM
This ITP Adult Acting class fosters self-expression, social connection, and storytelling skills through interactive theatre exercises, scene work, and improvisation. Guided by experienced teaching artists, participants will explore character development, voice, movement, and collaborative performance techniques at their own pace.
$120/month
Enrollment is closed for Spring 2026
COMING SPRING 2026
THIS PRODUCTION WILL PERFORM AT AREA STAGE’S BLACK BOX THEATRE IN SUNSET PLACE.
SpongeBob SquarePants Jr. is the musical adaptation of Nickelodeon’s long-running animated children’s sitcom of the same name. We find ourselves in the undersea city of Bikini Bottom, inhabited by happy-go-lucky and ever-optimistic yellow sea sponge SpongeBob SquarePants and his equally quirky circle of friends and neighbors. SpongeBob’s pleasant existence is abruptly interrupted when it is discovered that Mt. Humongous, a nearby volcano, will erupt within the next 48 hours and completely obliterate Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save their underwater community. When everything seems lost, an unexpected hero rises up, proving that optimism really can save the world!
$800 - Full Session
$200/month
FOR ITP STUDENTS
Rehearsal Schedule
Feb 9th - May 29th
Mon, Wed, Fri 5 - 7PM
Tech Schedule
TBD
5pm - 9pm
Performance Schedule
June 2026
ITP SUMMER CO-LAB
Summer Workshop for Neurodiverse Students Ages 5-18+
Performers gain experience directing, choreographing, stage managing, performing and more, in this collaborative 5-day intensive! This first-ever theatre laboratory summer camp for neurodiverse actors will give students the chance to present a Broadway musical of their choosing at the end of every session, produced completely on their own. If you've ever wondered what it's like to step into the many roles and responsibilities in the Musical Theatre industry, this summer workshop is for you.
Tuition is $275 each week.
