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BREAKING WALLS INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 460790837 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A60 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · breakingwallsprogram.org
revenue
$21K
expenses
$21K
net assets
$213
employees
—
mission · from form 990

2023 SUMMIT IN PALERMO ITALY. THEATRE PIECE DIRECTED BY INTL CREATIVE ARTIST DOLA RASHAD. TYLER PERRY FOUDATION SUPORTED THE PALERMO SUMMIT WITH $30K DONATION. BREAKING WALLS EXPANDED ITS ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING WITHTHE LAB MIDDLE SCH STEAM CLASSES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Arts, culture, and peace-building nonprofit founded by Fran Tarr that empowers youth from diverse global communities through creative activism. The organization runs international summits, in-school arts education workshops, and community-based retreats that use theater, writing, and performance to foster empathy, leadership, and cross-cultural understanding. Programs serve young artists in cities including Brooklyn, Cape Town, Berlin, and Istanbul, with a focus on those affected by social unrest and intolerance.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Arts Education In-School Workshop
Collaborative program with NYC public, private, and charter schools and international classrooms that uses creative writing, improvisation, and performance to build literacy, critical thinking, and empathy in students
Community-Based Retreat
Five-day arts residency for youth ages 12–17 from distinct cultures to co-create art, build cross-cultural understanding, and overcome prejudice through shared creative experiences
International Summit
Annual 17-day gathering of 40 young artists from global cities including Brooklyn, Cape Town, Berlin, and Istanbul to write, perform, and share life stories through multidisciplinary art and creative activism
Virtual Artist Cooperative
Online initiative connecting young artists across cultures through collaborative artistic disciplines in a virtual environment to build trust and cross-cultural connections
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Community-based arts retreats and residencies
      Hosts community-based arts retreats and five-day residencies for youth aged 12 to 17 from diverse cultural backgrounds, fostering unity through collaborative creative work. These retreats bring together local groups to form a unified creative community and include structured programming in writing, performance, and wellness.
  • Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
    • In-school arts education workshops
      Provides in-school arts education programs that develop students' creative writing, improvisation, public speaking, and self-confidence through reflective, multidisciplinary writing and performance. Programs are delivered in collaboration with schools including The Lab Middle School and Paula Furst Schule in Berlin, and have expanded from two to 80 schools over 13 years through the Women's Project.
  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 1 activity
    • International arts-based youth exchange programs
      Facilitates cross-cultural arts exchange programs connecting youth from disparate communities, such as a 2008 program linking youth from Brooklyn, NY, and Bethlehem, Palestine, and a 2016 theater program with teens in Cape Town, resulting in collaborative performances that promote peace, unity, and mutual understanding.
  • Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
    • International youth arts summits
      Organizes annual international summits and multi-day global gatherings that bring together young artists from around the world for intensive creative programming in writing, performance, storytelling, and community service. Events include a 17-day program for 40 youth from 11 global cities and have been held in locations such as Palermo, Italy, with plans for future summits including Istanbul (postponed in 2026). A 2023 summit featured a theater piece directed by Dola Rashad.
  • Arts Education Access Programs 1 activity
    • Virtual artist cooperatives and online programming
      Facilitates virtual artist cooperatives and online creative initiatives, including a two-day virtual International Youth Art Summit that engages young artists and mentors in structured artistic programming, expanding access to global youth participation.
  • Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
    • Youth empowerment through creative expression
      Uses creative writing, theatrical performance, and multidisciplinary arts to help youth address challenges related to social unrest, intolerance, peer pressure, and life in a virtual world. Programs focus on building empathy, leadership, compassion, identity, and values among young people globally.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$21K
Contributions & grants$17K78%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue$265
expenses
Total expenses$21K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$213
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$213
5 years on record · 2018–2024 · YoY revenue -66.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • MARTHA GALLAGHUE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 21

Who they work with

  • Atlantic Theater Company Partner — Fran Tarr has served as Education Coordinator since 1995, influencing Breaking Walls' arts education model.
  • Bethlehem, Palestine Partner — Collaborative arts and social justice exchange with young people in Bethlehem initiated the Breaking Walls program
  • Fran Tarr Partner — Founder and project lead who initiated the 2008 Brooklyn-Bethlehem youth arts exchange that led to the formation of Breaking Walls.
  • GlobalGiving Partner — Partnership for matching donations on GivingTuesday.
  • Hanoi Partner — Future partnership with youth in Hanoi under consideration from 2025 to 2030.
  • Kigali Partner — Future partnership with youth in Kigali under consideration from 2025 to 2030.
  • LAB Middle School for Collaborative Education Partner — Collaborates with Breaking Walls on an in-school arts education program.
  • LAB Middle School for Collaborative Education Partner — Collaborates with Breaking Walls on in-school arts education programming.
  • Moha Partner — Artist and contributor to the Breaking Walls program.
  • Muscat Partner — Future partnership with youth in Muscat under consideration from 2025 to 2030.
  • Pathways to Peace Partner — Honored Breaking Walls staff with the Exceptional Women of Peace Program and Peace Building through Arts Award.
  • Paula Furst Schule Partner — Collaborates with Breaking Walls on in-school arts education programming in Berlin.
  • Paula-Fürst-Schule Partner — Community school partner collaborating with BREAKING WALLS INC.
  • Quebec City Partner — Future partnership with youth in Quebec City under consideration from 2025 to 2030.
  • Sarajevo Partner — Future partnership with youth in Sarajevo under consideration from 2025 to 2030.
  • Tangier Delegation Partner — Local delegation supporting participation of youth artists from Tangier in Breaking Walls programs.
  • The Global Movement for the Culture of Peace Partner — Partner organization in the field of peace culture and psychological well-being.
  • The Rainbow Dreams Trust Partner — Collaborative partner organization working with BREAKING WALLS INC.
  • Turkish artists Partner — Collaborates with Turkish artists to expand participation in the Breaking Walls Summit.
  • Tyler Perry Foundation Funder — Provided a $30,000 donation to support the 2023 Palermo Summit.
  • Women's Project Partner — Fran Tarr served as Education Director; Breaking Walls leadership emerged from this experience.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Arts-Based Youth Empowerment and Identity Development
    methodology: arts-based_youth_empowerment
    By combining artistic practice with activism and coming-of-age experiences, we support positive identity formation and personal development in youth, because creative self-expression within a social change context strengthens agency and belonging.
  • Collaborative Arts for Empathetic Engagement
    methodology: arts-for-peacebuilding
    By creating structured spaces for unbiased listening and joint artistic creation, we cultivate empathy and proactive civic engagement, because authentic connection through art enables youth to bridge polarized experiences and act collectively.
  • Creative Activism for Peacebuilding
    methodology: creative_activism_peacemaking
    By engaging youth in multidisciplinary arts and collaborative creative expression, we foster intercultural dialogue and peace, because shared artistic experiences build empathy and mutual understanding across divided communities.
  • Healing Through Authentic Connection and Art-Making
    methodology: healing_through_art_and_connection
    By providing safe, expectation-free environments for art-making and dialogue, we enable emotional healing and authentic expression, because vulnerability in trusted creative communities fosters personal growth and resilience.
  • Student-Centered Creative Ownership Model
    methodology: student-centered_arts_education
    By using a student-centered, collaborative teaching approach that emphasizes guidance over direction, we increase creative engagement and ownership, because youth are more invested when they lead their own artistic processes.