CONFERENCE SCHEDULE | 31
their families have attended the free workshops and performances as part of the SPARK program . This panel will be facilitated by Molly and Reji Simon , the co-artistic directors of Filament Theatre based in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago dedicated to creating “ a more equitable society by celebrating and amplifying the perspectives and experiences of young people through the performing arts ”. We will explore the successes and challenges SPARK and its young curators have experienced , discover what it took to get it all up and running , and hopefully help start a conversation about the value of giving youth the “ keys to the theatre ."
Transforming Communities and Reclaiming Spaces Using Field Trip Research Track : Professional Theatre Presenter : Rebecca Pogue Location : Alpine 2 ( Lucerne Level ) – Swissotel Chicago
Experiencing an arts and culture field trip can inspire a student for a lifetime . But what if the lasting impact of that experience could be measured ? How could that field trip alter the trajectory of that student ’ s life and the local community ? The Alliance Theatre , Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta , Georgia embarked on a multi-year experimental study to research the academic and social-emotional benefits of arts-based field trips and is now using those findings to expand the hearts and minds of its youngest theater patrons . With research proving the positive results of arts-based field trips , discover how our findings can impact your local community . Participants will learn about the Multi-Visit Program in further detail , including a deep dive into program administration and an overview of the research . Then , explore how the Alliance Theatre is using these findings and creating arts-based experiences for young people . Through the planning and scheduling of future TYA productions and renovating the Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families , the Alliance is committed to raising the voices of the next generation of arts patrons .
Where I ' m From : Staging Original Poetry to Impact Community Track : High School Presenter : Cliff Campbell Location : Geneva ( Concourse ) – Swissotel Chicago
Where am I from ? Where am I now ? Where am I headed ? In this hands-on workshop , participants will work through a devising process . First , participants will brainstorm and write an original poem about identity . Participants will then collaborate to stage and share excerpts of their poems and finally , engage in a community dialogue to reflect on how the process affected members of the group . Participants can bring the techniques modeled in this workshop to their home communities as a means to jumpstart crucial conversations about identity and self-transformation .
Updated 7.17.24