Middle schools can apply for services and materials valued at $12K
Applications are now available to participate in the middle school initiative, JumpStart Theatre, created by the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and managed by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.
All Cincinnati tri-state area middle schools may apply to participate in JumpStart Theatre. Applications can be completed and submitted online beginning today, January 14, through February 15, 2019. Selected schools will be announced in the spring and will begin implementing the program in their school in the fall of 2019.
Participant schools are chosen through the online application which is now available at: https://tinyurl.com/JumpStartCincy1920.
Training & Ongoing Mentoring:
Each selected school will receive services and materials valued at $12,000 in the form of training, mentoring, and production support for a show for their community. Students will be involved in every aspect of the production, and TCT and EdTA will also host an annual JumpStart Theatre showcase, bringing all the participants together to share their work.
Three teachers from each participating school are taught the techniques and skills to develop and manage a musical theatre program (everything from casting, to rehearsal schedules, to staging/choreography and technical requirements, to cultivating parent/community engagement, to achieving economic sustainability) through a series of three, full-day professional development “boot camps” each year of the three-year program, plus an ongoing mentoring/coaching relationship with an experienced theatre teaching artist.
Timeline:
- January 14 – February 15, 2019 (11:59 PM) – Applications accepted
- February 22 – March 15, 2019 – Interviews for schools who have applied and Site Visits for Finalists
- March – April 2019 – Selected schools notified
- April 2019 – Orientation for selected schools
- May 2019 – Planning for 2019-2020 school year (submit show selections, boot camp dates determined, contracts signed)
- Fall 2019 – Program begins at selected sites
About JumpStart Theatre:
JumpStart Theatre is a collaboration among the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), and New York City-based companies, Music Theatre International (MTI) and iTheatrics. The program trains educators to develop sustainable arts programs at underserved middle schools that do not currently offer theatre in the curriculum or after school.
In October, the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) began their partnership with The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) to entrust the management and administration of the nationally-recognized JumpStart Theatre program to the oldest theater for young audiences in the nation. Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, TCT will oversee the day-to-day operations of the initiative that creates sustainable theatre arts programs in Cincinnati-area middle schools where there previously were none.
“Studies have shown that theatre education helps our young people become better students and citizens. The experience of being in a musical teaches life skills like accountability, respect, teamwork, discipline, risk-taking, and creativity,” said Julie Theobald Executive Director of EdTA.
Kim Kern, Managing Director and CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati said, “JumpStart Theatre is a natural extension of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s goal to fill the gap left by the reduction of arts education in schools, and to provide equitable access to the arts for all children. This program gives schools the tools they need to build a sustainable musical theatre program, while providing students with exposure to the arts and building life skills such as increased self-esteem and social skills.”
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EdTA has two key job opportunities available to support our mission of shaping lives through theatre education:
RISK!, a live show and podcast “where people tell true stories they never thought they’d dare to share,” is coming to Cincinnati at The Ludlow Garage on Feb 8 and we’re looking for writers, performers and anyone else who might have an extraordinary story to share about something they’ve lived through to pitch us. The suggested themes for stories that night are Surprise! or What Was I Thinking? or A Secret.
The Loveland Stage Company will be presenting 2 scholarships in the spring of 2019.
La Comedia Dinner Theatre in Springboro, Ohio, is seeking a scenic carpenter. The scenic carpenter must have knowledge of carpentry and wood-working tools. Experience with construction, power tools, working within a fast-paced environment, simple carpentry finishing, and stage craft.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 