At The V.U.T.C. we believe that theatre is for everyone, and we are excited to not only be a part of this shift in our field, but to inspire others to join us in making the arts more accessible
2024 Season Picks Progressing
The play submission entries for the 2024 Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays have all been received and the Reading Committee is hard at work sifting through them in order to create another successful season, but this is no easy task!
In little more than a month the festival received over 300 entries and had to cap the entries in order to give the plays the integrity of service they require to whittle it down to 10-12 selections. All committees have limitations on the volume of material they can read while still giving each the respect they deserve and the NIFOAP Reading Committee is no different. That said, we look forward to announcing the exciting festival choices in May! The 2024 festival runs Thursday Sept 5 – 8 at Newmarket Old Town Hall Auditorium.
Exciting News from V.U.T.C. Young Company
Cutting Edge Arts Program offers accessible theatre to those living with Aphasia
The 2024 V.U.T.C. Young Company season is excited to announce the accessible arts initiative! In addition to writing, directing and performing their own plays for the Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays, the accessible arts initiative was created with the goal of ensuring that community theatre is accessible to individuals with communication differences, particularly those with Aphasia.
Aphasia is a language problem that can occur after a stroke or traumatic brain injury, and can impact an individual’s expressive language (message out) and/or receptive language (message in). Supports such as Supported Communication of Adults with Aphasia techniques from the Aphasia Institute, use tools like key wording, body language, and verification to help facilitate communication for individuals with Aphasia. This year’s young company productions will be created with Aphasia friendly support, allowing those with Aphasia to be included in this year’s Sunday matinee young company productions.
Lead by Kira Rosenbloom (the Artistic Director of V.U.T.C. Young Company and Masters Candidate in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto) and in collaboration with the Aphasia Institute, young artists will have the opportunity to participate in Aphasia and communication workshops where they will learn about Aphasia, how to support communication for individuals with Aphasia and take part in creating the supports that will make this years performance Aphasia friendly.
At The V.U.T.C. we believe that theatre is for everyone, and we are excited to not only be a part of this shift in our field, but to inspire others to join us in making the arts more accessible.
