Offstage Focus is a theater term that refers to moving one’s focal point from literal and tangible objects onstage to the imagined and visionary offstage: if a performer pictures an image strongly enough offstage, it can become as real and tangible as a physical object onstage.

The Offstage Focus Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation is a donor-advised fund awarding grants for multi-media and performing arts programs to public elementary and middle schools educating a majority of traditionally underserved students.

The Offstage Focus Fund was founded in 2007 by Christina Klein & Eric Nelson — both of whom significantly benefited from creative arts throughout their academic career — such as music recording & mixing, digital photography, reader’s theater and forensic competition, vocal & instrumental music, and more. For Christina & Eric, engagement in the arts motivated an engagement in academic success.

By creating the Offstage Focus Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation, Christina & Eric are hoping to provide under-served adolescents the opportunity for self-exploration, engagement, pursuit of a life-long passion for the arts, and academic success. While we’re excited to witness the creative things students will do onstage, we’re more excited about the possibilities for development when students take their focus Offstage.