Directions
Summer 2008

In This Issue ...

• Through the Eyes of an Elephant
• Slam-dunk Hit!
• Binti's Journey
• Letters to Africa
• Spring and Everything's New
• A New Face at Theatre Direct
• All Hands on Deck!
• Everything's Coming up Doras!
• Message from the President

Photo: Welcome Ngozi (centre) with the students of Kent Senior Public School

Letters to Africa

Last season, Theatre Direct launched its first annual arts education residency for local schools with a unique program from a multi-disciplinary team of artists from the acclaimed Stuttgart-based Akademie Schloss Solitude for students of Dovercourt Junior Public School.

This year, we chose to create our residency around the themes and issues central to Binti’s Journey, the stage adaptation of Deborah Ellis’ The Heaven Shop, exploring the impact of the African HIV/AIDS pandemic on young people through the eyes of an orphaned 13-year-old girl.

At the heart of this process was our interest in hearing and seeing how young people here in Canada respond to the stories of their African counterparts and what they would choose to say to an audience through theatre, dance, visual art, song, and video. In every way, these young people inspired each other and us with their courage to ask tough questions, their self-awareness, their willingness to identify the inequality and injustice behind the pandemic and their desire to challenge their audience to take action.

Letters to Africa culminated in performances created by the students with the residency artists which raised $400 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Creators who collaborated with Theatre Direct and the students included:

Darren Copeland, Radio Art
Monique Stewart, Visual Arts
Junia Mason, Drama/Spoken Word
Welcome Ngozi, Dance and Music
Ben Lawrence, Video Art Videographer
Melanie McNeill, Costumes

“The end result of the program was felt on several levels. All of the educational stakeholders were affected. A parent, as she watched the dress rehearsal marvelled, ‘This has done so much for his self-esteem.’ Have we not accomplished one of our educational goals? Absolutely, it is our intent to develop the entire child. After the performance a student was asked, ‘What you said about not taking things or people for granted, was that only part of the script?’ The response was breath-taking. ‘I did take things for granted before, now I don’t.’ As an educator, observing the enthusiasm, dedication, and sheer joy that the students had attending this program was amazing. This program is WONDERFUL!!”
- CherylAnn Samuel-Graham, Vice Principal, Kent Senior PS

“I am amazed at how this multifaceted arts program stimulated the students to come alive so that together they could reach a greater understanding of very difficult, complex issues — truly remarkable.”
- Janice L. Wright, Patron, Binti’s Journey, Partner, Rueter Scargall Bennett LLP