In 2001, Drs. Corbitt and Nix-Early were awarded a research grant form the Louisville Institute to conduct a national research project. Their task was to document the existence and effect of Christian artists and faith-based arts programs working for personal and social transformation within marginalized urban communities. The results of this research were published in a book, Taking it to the Streets: Using the Arts to Transform Your Community (Baker 2003) and would serve as a theoretical foundation for future programs, including BuildaBridge Institute.

In 2002, BuildaBridge established The Institute for the Church and the Community Arts (ICCA) (now simply BuildaBridge Institute). The Institute is a training academy for community leaders, youth workers, faith leaders, teachers, musicians, visual artists, dancers, and dramatists who want to integrate the arts effectively in community-based service and mission. Supported by the Department of Human Services in the City of Philadelphia between 2002 and 2005, it has intensively trained over 100 participants in arts-integrated service. In 2006, BuildaBridge signed a partnership agreement with Eastern University to offer, through the Institute, graduate courses for Eastern's new MA in Urban Studies Arts in Transformation.

In September 2002, BI was invited to partner with the city of Philadelphia, Bright Horizons, and McNeil Pharmaceuticals to create a Bright Space within the two largest homeless shelters in Philadelphia (one in North Philadelphia and one in Mount Airy). Bright Horizons was looking for a short-term project; however, due to our larger organizational mission of bringing the arts to at-risk communities, BI sought long-term relationships within the shelter system. After two years of volunteer programming in the shelter system, BuildaBridge was invited to partner with the Homeless Initiative of the School District of Philadelphia. Awarded a contract, BuildaBridge was then able to hire professional artists-in-residence to focus on specific shelters in the city.

BuildaBridge is an “incarnational” organization; as such, it is important that its facilities are part of the community it serves. In February 2003, Corbitt and Nix-Early purchased a 15,000 sq. ft. (1400 square metres) historic mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (in the Germantown neighborhood) that would become the BuildaBridge House. Ten fully functioning apartments house BuildaBridge offices and a number of the staff, including the Corbitt and Nix-Early families. The mansion also provides affordable housing for like-minded people interested in urban transformation. The BuildaBridge staff has grown to twenty full time, part time, and volunteer staff.

Currently, BuildaBridge is developing plans to convert the mansion’s carriage house into a functioning art education and therapy studio with space for a resident teaching artist. The Community Studio will provide a safe place for long-term mentoring of children in the community.

Full BuildaBridge History