ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Over the past 18 years Theatre Prospero has given thousands of Alberta Children aged 5-18 the chance to discover their creative powers. They make theatre with our mentorship. While we continue to offer Residencies grounded in Shakespeare, we increasingly offer Residencies where students can discover the richness of stories from other mythologies and backgrounds including Indigenous, South Asian, African, and other cultural worlds.

We offer a wide range of options for residencies, but the general format is as follows; We bring 3-8 professional theatre artists into a school to mentor 15-250 students  for 1-15 days as they create a piece of theatre from 15 to 90 minutes long. The students share this with their school and/or community. Often the piece is a version of one of Shakespeare’s plays. Sometimes it is a piece grounded in mythology and the students’ imaginations. Sometimes it’s their adaptation of a Shakespeare piece to another culture or cosmology. At times our actors perform with the students, but often the students do it all themselves. Students who want to support the piece without acting do so through mentored technical theatre and design.

THE IMPACT OF ARTS EDUCATION

There are many positive stories about the impact of this work on students and schools. Over and over, we have seen students who do not shine in academics or athletics amaze themselves and their peers by excelling on stage. In Chief Napeweaw School, Frog Lake First Nation, one residency led to another, and this momentum led to a drama program, and a theatre. Other schools and communities have sprouted drama clubs and societies after our visits. The academic benefits are substantial, especially when they are learning one of Shakespeare’s plays by acting in them. Many successful theatre professionals got their start in our residencies. Thousands of children and youth who otherwise would not have had the chance got to be in a play because we came to their school. That is a chance every child should have, at least once.

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Finally, there is a beautiful sense of unity which comes over a school that comes together to put on a play. Students learn teamwork, discipline, commitment, and they learn to share, speak, and listen better. Maybe most importantly, the youth who may have forgotten how get to play again.

BOOKING A RESIDENCY

If you are interested in learning more about our Residency Program we would love to hear from you. We cater each residency to the school we are partnering with.

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Theatre Prospero's Artistic Director, Mark Henderson will guide you through the steps on how to proceed in bringing our Artist in Residency program to your school. 

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You can reach us at: 

PROGRAM HISTORY

The Seven Cree Virtues

2019

Macbeth

2004-06, 2013-15

Alice in Wonderland

2015

The Wizard of Oz

2014

The Coming of the Kings

2010

Much Ado About Nothing

2010

King Lear

2007 & 2009

Hamlet

2005 & 2006

The Taming of the Shrew

2000

Much Ado About Nothing

1999, 2008

A Cree Cymbeline

2017

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1996, 1999, 2001, 2003-06,  2009-14 

Oliver!

2014

A Christmas Carol

2012 & 2013

A Child's Christmas in Wales

2010

Romeo and Juliet

2007-08, 2011-12

Rock Around the Block

2006

The Frogs

2005

The Bacchae

1999 & 2000

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

1998