ADaPT was originally developed under the auspices of the Institute for Studies in the Arts in December 1999, when arts researchers and information technology professionals from five institutions met at Arizona State University to discuss opportunities for developing collaborative performances using high speed networks.
The five original institutions included: Arizona State University,The Ohio State University,The University of California, Irvine, The University of Utah, and The University of Wisconsin, Madison. Over the years ADaPT has expanded to include partners in other countries on on four continents.