Producing a
This Is My Brave Show
This Is My Brave - The Show is a powerful live theatrical event in which individuals are empowered to speak openly - through creative expression - about their experiences with mental illness or substance use disorder to break down stigma and let others know they are not alone.
This Is My Brave Shows are produced locally, by volunteer production teams or nonprofits with a similar mission and vision to This Is My Brave. Each show takes the audience on a journey. Audience members will laugh, they will cry, and they'll leave with a transformed perception of mental health.
Before you begin
It's important to note:
Producing a Brave Show is a big undertaking!
Our Producer Handbook encompasses a people-centered approach in which a production team will dedicate months to a community building process that is focused on creating authentic connection and opportunities for growth. Producers will spend time and energy with people while also pulling off a theatrical event.
​This Is My Brave is a strong community across the U.S. made up of thousands of alumni storytellers, producers, and Brave Fans committed to empowering people and ending stigma.
Being a producer of This Is My Brave - The Show is a powerful and rewarding experience that many past producers regard as a seminal moment in their life. For storytellers, they have the opportunity to build a network of peer support as they get to know each other during production. For both producers and storytellers, the effort is great, and the reward is even greater!
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Review our Guidelines
and Rules
01
Create a safe space
Throughout production and up to show day and the days after, share local mental health resources with the cast and production team.
03
Adhere to Show Guidelines
Our experience has taught us the importance of The Brave Way of show production.
02
Highlight Diversity
Shows should feature a wide range of storytellers (consider diversity of age, ethnic identity, gender, race), conditions, and performance pieces.
04
Review past shows
The best way to get a feel for a This Is My Brave Show is to watch one. Our YouTube channel houses all our past performances.
Types of Shows
There are several different This Is My Brave Show adaptations available, and we're open to new ones! We'd love to hear from you on what type of This Is My Brave show you're interested in producing!
Our Process
1
Review past
This Is My Brave shows
Click the button below
to watch shows and learn more
about our events
2
Download toolkit
Submit the form below to download our Show Production Toolkit which will empower you with the planning guides and templates you need to dive in and get started creating your show!
3
Get Started!
Now comes the exciting stuff! Gather your team together, review your intentions for producing a This Is My Brave show, assign jobs and kick off production!
Submit your info to receive all the info on how to produce a show
FAQ's
Is there a cost involved?
The short answer is yes. The costs associated with putting on the show will be fundraised, as you'll be approaching local businesses for support, while you can also apply for grants to offset the costs of show production. In general, we recommend raising a minimum of $20,000 to fund your show. This money covers the cost to rent the theater, obtain insurance, and hire a videographer and photographer, among other things. Smaller productions may be able to be produced for under $15,000.
Is there support available?
We have a private Facebook group made up of This Is My Brave alumni and alumni Producers and you are provided access to this group. It's a place for you to connect and engage with our alumni community, many of whom are happy to provide help and guidance to you as you embark on this journey to produce a This Is My Brave show.
What is the time commitment?
Producing a This Is My Brave show is a big undertaking, yet is filled with deep rewards. The time commitment averages about 5 hours a week, with hours increasing as the show date approaches.
How long does it take?
We recommend allowing 9 to 12 months or more to produce your show. This allows time for fundraising and grant applications if you choose to pursue grant funding.
Thank You
This Is My Brave is more than a show. It’s a transformational experience for the production team, the storytellers, the audience members and the community. It’s a movement of people choosing to be open about mental health, creating a more supportive world in which we can not only survive mental health challenges, we can thrive.
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It’s our vision that one day we will live in a world where we won’t have to call it “brave” for talking openly about mental illness. We’ll simply call it talking.
Thank you for joining our Brave family. You’re helping us get closer to that vision by stepping forward to lead a production team.
Contact us with questions
This Is My Brave is now available as a public mental health intervention through the University of South Florida's Stigma Action Research (STAR) Lab. Visit our Contact Us page to reach the team with any questions you may have.