Here we go! It’s our fourth year of the “Stories Written by Kids” project, where senior elementary school students collaborate with professional theatre artists to create their very own new and exciting short plays. After having made it “through the pandemic” we’re really excited about some of the new things we’re getting to do this year, but also very grateful for some things that have worked well in the past that are staying the same…
WHAT’S NEW
We are live and in-person! Last year and the year before, we ran almost all of our workshops virtually, and presented the plays online with no live audience in the theatre. Now, not only are all our workshops with the kids in-person at their school, but we will also be presenting live performances of the plays at Strathcona elementary on May 30th, and at The Cultch Historic Theatre on June 8th! Stay tuned for info on how to book your tickets for June 8th!
This year, we’re also thrilled to be welcoming two new actor/facilitators, Nyla Carpentier and Chirag Naik! Nyla is a theatre, film and TV actor, as well as a powwow dancer and dance instructor, and was recently the artist in residence with Ruby Slippers theatre. Chirag works in theatre, film, TV and also voice over, and was the 2014 recipient of the Studio 58 Sydney J. Risk Foundation award for acting. Both are fantastic and familiar performers around Vancouver. We look forward to introducing them more on our Instagram as we begin rehearsals!
Ariel Martz-Oberlander is another wonderful new member of the ‘Stories by Kids’ team. Ariel is a multi-faceted theatre artist, website here, who will be working on the project as a producer. Formerly the youth programmer at The Cultch, Ariel is actually the person responsible for originally bringing “Stories Written by Kids” to the Historic theatre in its first run in 2020!
WHAT’S THE SAME
We are so proud to be once again presenting this project at The Cultch Historic Theatre as part of a sponsorship from The Cultch’s amazing IGNITE Youth program. The Cultch’s youth programmer Valentina Acevedo Montilla has ensured that we’ll be able to bring these kids’ plays to life on this beautiful professional stage.
The Cultch has also generously offered their amazing videography team, meaning that “Stories Written by Kids” will once again be filmed and shared digitally, as it has been the past two years. We’re so excited to again allow for even more access these kids’ awesome plays. And this time if you’re experiencing the show online, there’ll be the added energy of a live studio audience!
One other very important thing that has remained the same this year is our school partner. The Strathcona elementary school community has been so engaged and supportive of this project, and we’re so incredibly proud to collaborate with them. Although this project is meant to serve a different school each year, we really feel that this community deserves to have the in-person experience, to get to be in the room all together as their peers’ imaginations come to life right in front of the whole school!
Rehearsals are now underway! Stay tuned for more updates as well as info on how to reserve your seats for “Stories Written by Kids – Strathcona” at The Cultch Historic Theatre on June 8th!
