Meet Rachel Adams | Executive Director of Immersive Art Collective at the Count’s Den

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Adams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
“Never give up.”

I think it’s ok to give up, and that it’s actually often necessary to give up.

When you attach yourself to only one dream, you run the risk of missing out on other opportunities and avenues that are better suited to your fulfillment.

I’m not the same person I was years ago; I’m a very different person now than the person who conceived my initial dreams then. I was pursuing a career in real estate at one time; the idea of owning a real estate business fueled me to run the rat race to pursue financial stability, and deviating from that dream terrified me, because I associated “adulting” with a very traditional profession. However, giving in to my more childlike curiosities and creative interests led to me achieving a much more fulfilling role today – surrounded by an amazing community of wacky creators and performers who play pretend in strange worlds for a living. If I had attached myself to that initial dream with blinders on and didn’t explore other passions, I imagine I would’ve ended up speaking at real estate seminars (yes, this was a goal), which for me, now, sounds terrible.

Don’t be afraid to give up before your dream becomes a nightmare.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Through writing, directing, and producing experiential events, including immersive theater, escape rooms, and one-of-a-kind live and virtual shows, I aim to create experiences that people of all ages and backgrounds can escape the real world and explore their imaginations. At IAC, our mission is to not only create these experiences for the general public to escape to, but in turn use the funds from our events to provide free arts education to underserved communities and youth.

Growing up, I had a very tumultuous and unstable childhood wherein I lacked control of what happened around me. My imagination was a safe place to create stories and characters where I had control of the outcomes. I wish I had someone who helped me foster my creativity and silly ideas. This led me to establish IAC, where not only are we a resource for the immersive community, but providing artistic mentorship and a safe space for young people to express themselves.

I’ve gone through multiple careers, and one of the most challenging lessons I learned was when to give up. It’s not easy to turn your back on a dream, and I had to do it many times. However, this led to me finding my true passion: creating artistic experiences into which people of all walks of life can escape into, and provide art mentorship and resources to those who need it most.

It was the pain and uncertainty of my life that ultimately resulted in me being able to share fun and new forms of expression with community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Bossa Nova for dinner, High Def Brewery for drinks, and a performance by the LA Opera in downtown LA; Idle Hour for more drinks, Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater, Tiki No for karaoke, the Ha Ha Comedy Club in North Hollywood; Universal Studios (specifically for Horror Nights); and the Old Place in Agoura Hills for a nice rustic meal away from the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to the original troupe of actors that sparked the passion to create IAC, leaning into their quirkiness to build a community of fearless performers. Without their continuous love, support, and offbeat ideas, we wouldn’t have the amazing – if somewhat eccentric – family we have now. Thank you all for staying weird and wonderful – I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Website: https://www.immersiveartcollective.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immersiveartscenter/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersive-art-collective/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/iac_dtla

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/immersiveartcollective/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/horror-escapes-la-los-angeles-2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@immersiveartcollective3070