press room

For Immediate Release

09/27/2006

Contact:
Goodman Media International for Americans for the Arts
Beth Olsen
212.576.2700 ext. 243
or bolsen@goodmanmedia.com


Corporate Learning and Development to Benefit in New Alliance Between Two Leading Innovators of Arts-Based Solutions for Business

New York, NY—September 27, 2006—Two powerful innovators of arts-based methods for business are joining forces in a partnership to provide unique learning and development solutions for U.S. and global corporations.

Creativity Connection, a national program of Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, and Second City Communications (SCC), the national corporate services division of the world’s most famous improvisational theater company, The Second City, announced today a new partnership that will offer American businesses custom-designed training programs to help them meet a wide range of their organizational learning and employee training needs. The organizations will complement and leverage each other’s strengths to expand a growing business market interested in arts-based learning as a tool in addressing development objectives.

In this alliance, Creativity Connection will also market the unique services of Second City Communications as part of SCC’s aggressive efforts to meet growing demand for innovative learning and development methods by corporate clients.

“This alliance will better serve corporations, which are increasingly demanding and looking for new ways to inspire creative thinking, innovation, and team performance among their employees,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “We are thrilled Second City Communications is joining the Creativity Connection roster and look forward to expanding this arena with them.” 

Second City Communications is a leader in the application of improv-based methods to help clients develop an innovative, nimble, cohesive, and highly motivated workforce. “We are excited about the Creativity Connection alliance, which is a great combination of two innovators of arts-based solutions for business,” said Tom Yorton, president of Second City Communications. “We do more than 300 corporate workshops or events a year—and we see first-hand how business leaders yearn for new and more engaging  methods for helping their people learn, develop, and become more dynamic,” said Yorton.  Additional information about Second City Communications is available at: www.secondcitycommunications.com.

SECOND CITY COMMUNICATIONS
Second City Communications (SCC) is the corporate learning, live entertainment, and marketing services division of The Second City, the world’s most famous improvisational theater company. The Second City launched the careers of such stars as Tina Fey, Horatio Sanz, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Joan Rivers, Alan Arkin, and a host of others.

For more than 15 years, SCC has helped corporate clients use improvisational techniques, unique communications methods and humor to achieve specific business goals such as building stronger teambuilding skills, developing more robust processes for creativity and brainstorming, honing more effective presentation and interviewing skills, and becoming more communications savvy.  SCC also draws on its strong legacy in humor, improvisation, and wit to help clients create energetic and entertaining live corporate events, effective video and multimedia tools, memorable and on-target trade show presentations and product launches, and relevant training experiences. Clients include Motorola, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Kraft, 3Com, Leo Burnett, Abbott Labs, Toyota, BP Amoco, British Airways, Starcom, GTE, and many others.

CREATIVITY CONNECTION
Created by Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts, Creativity Connection is the first national program designed to help businesses and corporations meet their training objectives through arts-based learning. Creativity Connection covers nearly all arts disciplines and partners with an outstanding roster of musicians, performers, writers, visual artists, and filmmakers. It develops and markets a series of programs that are now being used by companies such as McGraw-Hill, General Dynamics, Agilent, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Blue Cross, Deutsche Telekom, and Wachovia. Additional information is available at www.creativityconnection.org.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts develops and implements programs to establish partnerships between businesses and the arts. Signature programs include: the National Arts Marketing Project, MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series, Creativity Connection, and Business Volunteers for the Arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.