Blogs

 Originally published October 9, 2015.

A program designed to build sustainable musical theatre programs in underserved middle schools that currently have none.

-Bootcamp 1 is a success! The first JumpStart Theatre Teacher Training Bootcamp took place on October 2 at the Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts. It was attended by the JumpStart teams from Gamble Montessori, Holmes, and Finneytown, along with teachers from other local schools, including Newport Middle School, Conner Middle School, and Dater High School. The all-day workshop covered the basics of establishing a middle school musical theatre program and was led by Marty Johnson and Steven Kennedy from iTheatrics. Attendees learned basic warm ups, blocking, choreography and music in a friendly, supportive environment. Our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Aronoff Center and staff for donating the use of their Rehearsal Hall.  

Attendees use the skills they learned in the bootcamp to perform a brief skit at the end of the day.

-Bootcamp 2 date set! The second JumpStart Bootcamp will be held on Saturday, January 23 and will cover all of the technical aspects our teams will need to incorporate into their program. The iTheatrics staff will again join us to discuss the logistics of costumes, sets, props, lighting and more.

-Neighbor to Neighbor. Ginny Butsch and Dee Anne Bryll gave a presentation on October 1 to the Mt. Auburn Chamber of Commerce about the JumpStart program. The monthly lunch meeting is attended by approximately 50 business owners, staff and residents of the Mt. Auburn (Cincinnati) area, including representatives from Christ Hospital, District 4 of the Cincinnati Police, local schools and churches. It’s exciting to have support from the neighborhood as we move forward.

-Gearing up for Year Two. As we continue the first year of this pilot program, we are beginning our search for prospective schools in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area for the 2016-2017 year. Details about applying will be shared as soon as they become available. EdTA representatives would be happy to meet with prospective applicants in advance to share information and answer questions about JumpStart. If you have a suggestion for a potential JumpStart school, please submit their information to Ginny Butsch at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org.

Grant Updates:

The entire JumpStart team is grateful to The Donald C. and Laura M. Harrison Family Foundation for its recent grant award of $7,500.00 for the JumpStart Theatre Pilot Project. The Harrison Foundation, located in Cincinnati, seeks to improve opportunities and outcomes primarily for underprivileged students, with a particular emphasis on seeding and supporting new programs. We look forward to successful outcomes for JumpStart students and schools through the foundation’s generous support.

Research Updates:

The Centers for Research on Creativity (CRoC) Assistant Director, Kim Zanti, attended the first JumpStart Bootcamp, along with Kelly Simms and Christopher Goode, the top candidates for the JumpStart field team.

JumpStart Theatre Press Coverage:

•       Broadway World

•       Playbill

Thanks to all of our partners and supporters on JumpStart Theatre:

•        iTheatrics

•       Music Theatre International

•        ArtsWave

•       Ohio Arts Council

•        The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

•       The Daniel and Susan Pfau Foundation

•       The Donald C. and Laura M. Harrison Family Foundation

•        Anonymous donation in collaboration with Community Arts Initiatives

•        All of the individual donors

 Coming up in the next issue…

• Getting to know JumpStart mentor, Dee Anne Bryll.