NORTHWEST CHILDRENS THEATER AND SCHOOL INC
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Mission Statement
Northwest Children’s Theater and School (NWCT) was founded in 1993, with a mission to educate, entertain, and enrich the lives of young audiences. NWCT produces four Mainstage theater performances per year and administers one of the largest theater schools on the west coast. Additionally, NWCT brings theater education to more than 86 schools in the Portland metro area and beyond through an extensive Educational Outreach Program. To date, Northwest Children’s Theater and School has provided high-quality theater arts and education experiences to more than one million children, families and students. NWCT is more than just plays and classes—it is about helping to shape the next generation of creative thinkers, now and for years to come.
About This Cause
ABOUT NORTHWEST CHILDREN'S THEATER AND SCHOOL Northwest Children’s Theater and School (NWCT) was founded in 1993, with a mission to educate, entertain, and enrich the lives of young audiences. NWCT produces four Mainstage theater performances per year and administers one of the largest theater schools on the west coast. Additionally, NWCT brings theater education to more than 86 schools in the Portland metro area and beyond through an extensive Educational Outreach Program. To date, Northwest Children’s Theater and School has provided high-quality theater arts and education experiences to more than one million children, families and students. NWCT is more than just plays and classes—it is about helping to shape the next generation of creative thinkers, now and for years to come. PRODUCTION Northwest Children’s Theater and School produces four Mainstage productions every year. Mainstage performances range from popular classics to world-premiere new theatrical works, crafted specifically for young audiences and their families. NWCT enjoys a legacy of inclusiveness, innovation, and diversity, and the Children’s Theater is proud to make theater education accessible to all Portland area children. NWCT offers free preview performances to thousands of families through over 150 social service agencies. In addition, NWCT invites K-12 students from all over the region to attend School Matinee performances at a heavily discounted price. During the 2013-14 school year, a total of 14,571 students from 354 schools, including 5,590 students from Title I schools, attended a NWCT School Matinee performance. For many students from Title I schools, a School Matinee performance at NWCT is often their first introduction to theater arts. SENSORY FRIENDLY PRODUCTIONS In 2014, under the leadership of Artistic Director Sarah Jane Hardy, NWCT became the first theater in Oregon to offer a sensory friendly production with Goodnight Moon. Sensory-friendly performances are designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities. Length, lighting, sound, and staging are adjusted to adhere to standards for autistic children (as established by the Kennedy Center in Washington DC). In response to research indicating that advanced preparation for a performance enhances a child’s theater-going experiences, parents are provided with materials about the performance prior to their arrival. These efforts have produced broad community accolades, enthusiastic press, and attracted 180 individuals to the debut shows. Thanks to generous funding from The Oregon Cultural Trust and Umpqua Bank, free tickets to sensory-friendly productions are distributed through partner organizations and occupational therapists with direct access to families with sensory needs. EDUCATION Northwest Children’s Theater and School offers one of the largest theater arts schools in the Pacific Northwest, instructing 3,400 children ages 3-18 annually. Classes are held evenings and weekends for nine to ten weeks during Fall, Winter and Spring terms, and Summer term is comprised of full and half-day theater camps offered in one and two-week sessions. All classes and camps are divided both by age and experience level and cover a wide range of topics, from acting Skills Classes, where students develop specific performance techniques, to Playlabs, where students rehearse and perform a play. Additionally, NWCT’s Second Stage programs offer serious young theater students advanced training and performance opportunities with the city’s top theater professionals. OUTREACH Northwest Children’s Theater and School partners with more than 86 schools in the Portland Metro region and beyond, including 23 Title I schools. NWCT’s educational outreach programs are custom designed to meet the needs of individual students, educators and schools. NWCT’s outreach programming is structured to assist teachers in meeting Oregon Department of Education arts benchmarks, with special emphasis on literacy. Using improvisation, movement, acting and music, NWCT teachers help students develop a performance centered on curriculum workshops designed by the classroom teacher and NWCT.