Founded by artists in 1978, the mission of On the Boards (OtB) is to introduce audiences to international innovators in contemporary dance, theater and music while developing and presenting new work by Northwest performing artists.

As one of the leading organizations of our size and focus in the U.S., OtB produces unique performance projects by leading artists and creates one-of-a-kind experiences for our audiences. We program approximately 12–15 productions per year from September through June. We present contemporary performance from all disciplines; typically companies are in residence for one week. Production residencies and commissions are selected on a case-by-case basis as part of our overall programming curation. OtB is committed to a range of resources and events that provide in-depth information and complimentary social experiences to frame the art on our stages and create dynamic access for our audiences. Alongside our live performances we also create and distribute films of full-length performance through our OntheBoards.tv initiative.