Act One

Name

Act One

Legal name

Act One

Website

https://act1az.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Performing Arts & Music Lessons (Dance, Drumming, Instrument Lessons, Theater) (THAJAKAC), Performing Arts, Music & Theatre Group Tours (THAKAGAH)

Keywords

• Arts education access
• School field trips
• Virtual reality education
• Culture pass library
• Nonprofit arts programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Act One receives donations from individuals through monthly giving club (Stage Crew), one-time gifts, and annual A Class Act program at $1,000+ levels. Monthly giving starts at $5/month.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate grants and sponsorships support VR and field trip programs, Culture Pass, and National Arts in Education Week celebrations. Major sponsors include Applied Materials, APS, Arizona Commission on the Arts, and others.
3. Foundation Grants: Foundation support from organizations including National Endowment for the Arts ($15,000 grant), Molly Blank Fund, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, and others supporting operational expansion and program delivery.
4. VR Experience Fees (Non-Title I): For non-Title I schools and organizations, VR experiences start at $500 for a single one-hour session. 501(c)3 charitable organizations qualify for steep discounts. Deposit required for homeschool groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Act One is a nonprofit organization that creates and provides access to quality arts experiences for Arizona's children and families through three core programs: In-Person Field Trips (covering admission tickets and transportation for Title I school students to museums, theaters, and performing arts venues in Phoenix and Tucson), Culture Pass (free library-checkout passes to 40+ partner arts and cultural institutions distributed through nearly 200 Arizona libraries), and Arts Immersion VR Field Trips (mobile virtual reality experiences delivered directly to classrooms across Arizona, including rural communities, with custom 360-degree content).

Product overview

Act One is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of three interconnected programs that provide Arizona's children and families access to arts education: In-Person Field Trips (educational trips to arts venues for Title I schools with tickets and transportation covered), Culture Pass (free library-checkout passes to 40+ arts organizations distributed through 200 libraries), and Arts Immersion™ VR Field Trips (mobile virtual reality experiences bringing 360° arts content directly to schools). The organization also provides Teacher Resources (curriculum materials and guides), maintains an Ambassadors Program (educator advisory board), and produces the Backstage with Act One Podcast. Founded in 2011 by Russ and Mac Perlich, Act One serves primarily Title I schools and underserved communities across Arizona.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arts Immersion: Virtual Reality Field Trip program featuring VR experiences for students, including 'Freedom in Expression' and 'Weaving Our Story' seasons
• Culture Pass
• Backstage with Act One
• Stage Crew
• A Class Act
• Perlich Founders Circle

Products and services

• In-Person Field Trips Educational arts field trips for PreK-12 students from Title I schools in Arizona. Act One covers admission tickets and transportation costs, facilitating trips to live dance, music, theater, and museum experiences in Phoenix and Tucson regions. Schools must be designated Title I with at least 40% free/reduced-price lunch and located within 60 miles of the field trip destination.
• Culture Pass Free pass program allowing library cardholders to check out passes to over 40 arts and culture organizations across Arizona. Passes are distributed through nearly 200 public and academic libraries statewide, with over 600,000 passes offered annually to individuals, students, retirees, and families that would not otherwise have the financial means to visit arts venues.
• Culture Pass: Performances

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000+ students from Title I schools have accessed arts experiences
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Arizona Libraries (nearly 200)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNearly 200 public and academic libraries throughout Arizona distribute Culture Passes to cardholders. Libraries in 13 of 15 Arizona counties participate, allowing library users to check out free passes to 40+ arts and cultural institutions statewide.
• Arizona Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional performing arts group providing high-quality theatrical experiences for Act One field trips. Known for educating children about the arts with engaging, inspiring experiences.
• Rogue Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional theater company partnering with Act One to provide field trip experiences for Title I schools in the Phoenix and Tucson regions.
• Arizona OperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional opera company providing educational performances and field trip opportunities for students through Act One program.
• Musical Instrument MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum showcasing instruments from every country with video recordings built into displays. Offers guided field trips including Musical Menagerie Asia and Fiestas Latin America tours aligned with Arizona standards.
• Heard MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally recognized museum dedicated to advancing American Indian art. Culture Pass partner providing access to collections, exhibitions, and educational programming.
• Desert Botanical GardencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner140-acre garden with 55 acres under cultivation and 50,000+ plant displays. One of only 24 botanical gardens accredited by American Alliance of Museums. Culture Pass partner.
• Phoenix Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor art museum offering comprehensive collections and world-class exhibitions. Culture Pass partner providing access to visual arts experiences.
• Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum dedicated to contemporary art, architecture, and design. Digital field trip partner offering curriculum-aligned experiences in visual arts.
• Western Spirit MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier cultural institution in Scottsdale showcasing art, culture, and history of the American West. 43,000 square feet spanning 19 states. Culture Pass partner.
• Madison Center for the ArtssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance passes available at Chandler, Tempe, and Mesa Public Libraries for theater and arts performances.
• Chandler Center for the ArtssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance passes available at Tempe, Coolidge, and Chandler Public Libraries for cultural performances.
• Phoenix SymphonysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance passes for Phoenix Symphony available at Maricopa County Public Libraries through Culture Pass: Performances.
• Childsplay Theatre Inc.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's theater company with performance passes available at Tempe Public Library.
• Arizona Friends of Chamber MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber music organization with performance passes available at Pima Community College Libraries.
• Live Theatre WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater workshop with performance passes available at Pima Community College libraries.
• Flag ShakesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagstaff theater company with performance passes available at all Flagstaff Public Libraries.
• Sedona SymphonyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSymphony organization with performance passes available at Cottonwood, Sedona, and Village of Oak Creek libraries.
• Arizona-Sonora Desert MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFusion experience of zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium. Culture Pass partner for Southern Arizona.
• Reid Park ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZoo featuring 300+ animals including elephants, lions, giraffe, and more. Culture Pass partner for Tucson-area families.
• Arizona Early MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital field trip partner offering early music experiences. Founded in 1982, features musicians from around the globe performing on period instruments.
• ASU GammagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class arts presenting organization offering FREE livestream performances for students through Performances for Students series.
• Ballet ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremiere professional ballet company of the Southwest offering arts integration residencies and virtual field trips.
• Fox Tucson TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric theater in Tucson offering cultural heritage and theater programming for digital field trips.

Scale indicators9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Education: K-12 digital content and VR/AR experiences provider used by U.S. school districts. Comparable on VR-in-classroom delivery and Title I reach, but offers a much broader STEM/social-studies catalog rather than arts specialization.
• VSA (Kennedy Center): Kennedy Center's arts education program serving students with disabilities and underserved communities through arts experiences. Compares on mission (arts access for underserved K-12) but operates nationally and at much larger scale.
• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit advocacy and service organization for the arts, including arts education policy and grant programs. Overlaps with Act One's arts education funding and policy work but operates at much broader national scale.
• Google Arts & Culture: Free online platform offering virtual museum tours, 360° cultural content, and educational resources. Competes with Act One's VR Arts Immersion content on cultural exposure, though lacks the localized field trip and teacher-curriculum components.

Direct peers

• Young Audiences: National nonprofit network providing arts-in-education programming and residencies to K-12 schools, including underserved Title I–eligible communities. Highly comparable mission, customer base, and revenue model (foundation/corporate funded).
• Inner-City Arts: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing arts education experiences to underserved K-12 students through field trips, residencies, and studio programs. Shares Act One's Title I school focus and free-program delivery model.

Emerging players

• Nearpod: K-12 interactive lesson platform with VR field trips and cultural content distributed through schools. Comparable on VR field trip delivery to Title I schools, though serves broader curriculum areas commercially.
• ClassVR: Provider of VR headsets and curated educational content for K-12 classrooms worldwide. Directly comparable to Act One's mobile VR field trip model and target customer (Title I / under-resourced schools), but commercial/SaaS rather than nonprofit.

Regional players

• Arizona Commission on the Arts: State arts agency funding arts education and access programs across Arizona. Comparable as a regional arts-education funding body; supports Act One as a core grantee and could be considered a programmatic adjacent peer.

Others

• Heard Museum: Major Arizona cultural institution and core Act One partner. Comparable on the cultural-education delivery side (American Indian art, school field trips) and partners with Act One's Culture Pass; not a competitor but a key content/venue ally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/act1az
• Facebookfacebook.com/Act1AZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/act1az
• Instagraminstagram.com/act1az
• Xx.com/act1az

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Act One