The Bishop Arts Theatre Center (BATC) is an award-winning, multicultural theatre company with IRS 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status. BATC was chartered in September 1993 in Atlanta, Georgia and founded by Teresa Coleman Wash. At that time, the theatre was producing dinner theatre performances at the Lakewood Playhouse and partnering with community groups such as Luke’s Place, a neighborhood organization that provided social services for men & women recovering from substance abuse. The specific objectives and purposes of this corporation are to: - provide cultural and artistic opportunities to individuals who have been marginalized and children who live in at-risk communities, -use theater as a platform for social change and to raise awareness about issues that are important to our community, -provide instruction in theatre, acting, dance and other art forms, -sponsor special events involving public performances of plays, musicals, dances, and other art forms with various community performing art groups in order to broaden the cultural experience to a more diverse group, and -directly engage and to facilitate others to engage in the promotion of the arts, generally. Our mission is to cultivate a diverse and vibrant arts community committed to social impact while creating opportunities for local and emerging artists to develop new, contemporary, and lasting works that celebrate the diversity and resiliency of our community. Today, we offer a full season of in-person and virtual theater performances, jazz concerts, speaker series events, and year-round arts education programs.