Help us prevent childhood sexual abuse with an update of our award-winning TOUCH Film

Illusion has always been in the forefront of working with kids, using theater to break new ground by addressing the essential issues in their lives. TOUCH was first created in 1977 as the first child sexual abuse prevention program developed specifically for children. To create TOUCH we partnered with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office to find a way to reach children who had been sexually abused and to create a primary prevention program that could begin to address this difficult but important issue using the tool of theater. 

Watch a trailer of the 1983 TOUCH film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbRqxUWQ7xs

As part of our 40th Anniversary we are going to film a new version of our internationally award winning program and film TOUCH. Filmed in 1983, the recent demand for an updated film has been so strong that it is time for us make TOUCH for a new generation of kids.

The impact of TOUCH throughout the years:

• In 1983 the film TOUCH was made and since 1984 over five million children and adults have viewed the Touch film, either through television broadcast or private viewing.  Many hospitals, schools, sexual assault centers, shelters and prevention programs stock Touch as part of their library.

•  Since 1978, over 3 million children and adults have viewed a live theatrical performance of TOUCH.  It has been performed across the United States as part of our award winning Peer Education Program in which it reaches over 35,000 children and adults each year.

•  In the past three years  150 students have been trained as peer educators and have performed TOUCH, and additional 14,000 students, family members and adults have seen those performances.

•  We also receive many requests for the film from parents who wishes to own it for their own family use. 

•  The film has been distributed throughout the world including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Guam, Australia, The United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain, New Zealand, Israel, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong Panama, Germany and Belize.

The need for Touch continues to be great. Even after 25 years of Touch, Illusion receives at least one call a week to inquire about the program or to purchase the video.  Calls come from a variety of people who are engaged with children – from schools, sexual assault centers, day cares, churches, and from parents for their private use where they see signs of abuse between siblings or between their child and a friend. 

 The 1983 film needs to be updated to include the most current issues (like protection of children from the abuses of the Internet) and because there is a whole generation of young children whose parents weren’t born when the first film was made.

Thank you for considering a gift to our Project UPDATE TOUCH FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.