#tyausa

Today March 20 is #WorldDayOfTheaterForChildrenAndYoungPeople

Although today was my last full day in London, I will continue posting reflections, photos, and interview excerpts in the coming days.

One of the common threads among all of Oily Cart’s shows for young people with complex disabilities (Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities or an Autistic Spectrum Condition) is “the name song”, when all of the actors sing a song featuring names of the young people in the audience. Each performance of “The Bounce” only serves two students at a time, so the actors sing two name songs. During the name songs in “The Bounce”, the actors hold a video camera with a live feed in front of the young person, so their face is projected onto the large screens looming overhead. (You can see Rachel holding the camera in the video here). The moment when the young person hears their name and sees their face up on the screens is absolutely magical. This practice reinforces Oily Cart’s mission to turn the audience member into the star of the show.

Hey folks, before I head off to #London on Wednesday, I thought I would give you some context as to why I’m taking this trip (see below for the full announcement from #TYA/USA). As the Associate Director of Education at New York City Children’s Theater (formerly Making Books Sing), I am very passionate about creating inclusive and accessible theater experiences for all young people. Our education department currently works with NYC schools in District 75, which is NYC’s Special Education District. Check out the video here to watch our work with these students-- I make a quick cameo (in a black and white striped dress)! We are excited to create a brand new show this summer that will serve students with special needs and the very young. During my time in #London, I’ll be observing Oily Cart Theatre to learn how they devise touring shows for this population.