Our second workshop on July 12, 2022, was a success! We partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana this time! We had about 12 kiddos participate, and we had a blast doing improv exercises, learning about theatre, creating our script, rehearsing and performing for family! The 3 hours FLEW by!
We held our first workshop in partnership with New Hope Community Development Center on April 5 & 6, 2022. The workshop consisted of 2 fun-filled days including a crash course in theatre, improv exercises, team building, creative writing, script rehearsal and performance!
I am currently arranging a third workshop with Erica Fox at Attakapas Collective. Located in Freetown, it has a multi-arts focus. We are excited to give the neighborhood something fun and creative to do!
Two new teachers observed and trained while I taught this second workshop. My plan is to hand the reigns over to them during future workshops!
Thanks to Jill LeBlanc, an amazing volunteer, for taking photos at our BBBS workshop! I am including a few with this letter.
Our team would again like to thank 24HCP and the community for the support we’ve received. We look forward to continuing to fulfill our goals and serving the youth of Acadiana through our love of the arts!
We held our first workshop in partnership with New Hope Community Development Center on April 5 & 6, 2022. The workshop consisted of 2 fun-filled days including a crash course in theatre, improv exercises, team building, creative writing, script rehearsal and performance!
We believe the children participating in Mad Thinkers learned a lot about creative problem solving during the event.
I led Workshop #1. In future workshops, I will use the knowledge I gained to train others to take over teaching. Part of our goal for these workshops is to provide local teaching artists with more paid opportunities. We are looking forward to growing the program while connecting more teachers with students.
Thanks to Anne Songy with Acadiana Lifestyle, you can turn to page 19 and dive into the Mad Thinkers experience here. She wrote a beautifully detailed article and took some sweet photos of the kids. Click here: https://bit.ly/MadThinkersAcadianaLifeStyle
Our next workshop is scheduled to be in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters on July 12, 2022! We are looking forward to it!
Our team would again like to thank 24HCP and the community for the support we’ve received. We look forward to continuing to fulfill our goals and serving the youth of Acadiana through our love of the arts!
Our program development has taken off in a big way! Danielle Moroux, recipient of 24 HCP 2017 funding for “Pop Up Kids Theatre” has joined forces with The Mad Thinkers for our creative writing process. Brii Simmons and I are working closely with Danielle because she has several years of experience working with one of the organizations to which we will bring our workshop, New Hope Community Development of Acadiana. She’s assisting us with writing, and advising us in an effort to create the most beneficial program possible. We are taking great care in choosing topics of interest, and approaching the subject matter going into our Mad Lib script with sensitivity.
We decided our workshop is best suited for kids in grades 2-4. One of our goals is to be as relatable as possible, and really get the kids excited! We have abandoned our initial “Dinosaurs in Space” theme and replaced it with “Creatures from Another World.” We did so by conducting a brainstorm of what kinds of things kids in this age and demographic are actually interested in. We know collectively they love cute, colorful Pokemon-like creatures, bikes, skateboards, sports, etc. We are very excited about the story, as it is centered around a creature who feels left out, and learns in the end that he is worthy of acceptance. Our hope is the children participating will be able to enter an enticing world, take ownership of the details (using our Mad Lib technique), and learn empathy through acting.
We are looking forward to getting this workshop on its feet! Our first official workshop is scheduled for April 6-7 from 3:30-5:00 PM with New Hope! We will be reaching out to other kid-centric organizations to schedule the remaining workshops soon.
Our next steps include:
Finalizing the script dialogue
Purchasing sets, props, costumes, and classroom materials
Scheduling our two remaining workshops with other organizations
Executing all 3 workshops
Thank you so much for believing in The Mad Thinkers, and for your support throughout this process.
All our best, Allison Barron Brandon & The Mad Thinkers Team
Mad Thinkers are moving and grooving in our process of creating our interactive theatre workshop. We are currently in “scheduling mode,” meaning we are scheduling our writing sessions, and our first workshop with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
During 24 Hour Citizen Project, we met with Danielle Moroux. She is a previous recipient of 24HCP funding and has worked with children at New Hope for many years. We are working side by side with her to receive guidance and input to create a strong foundation for our program. She will assist both creatively and as an advisor.
Once we have our script written and ready, we will purchase sets, props, costumes and prepare to take our workshop on the road! We have a select group of instructors that will be trained and prepared to work with youth! We are on target to reach our goals and are excited to see the project come to life!
Our team would like to thank 24HCP and the community for the support we’ve received. We look forward to fulfilling our goals and serving the youth of Acadiana through our love of the arts!
