Detailed Overview
Funding Assistance
Before the residency begins we assist you in working out the finances. We do this by assisting you with the AFA grant application that is due by April 1, sharing with you the experiences of other schools and looking at all the factors that make up your school situation. We are sure, that in most cases we can make your residency cost less than a 1-day field trip. You are also able to charge admission to the show if you decide that is a good way to offset the cost.
Customizing the Residency for your School
Customizing the residency for your school takes 3-4 days of time by our residency program manager. This is done by phone and fax in co-operation with the person at the school who is co-ordinating the project. This process involves theme development, assigning theatre styles to classes, working out all the logistics regarding use of rehearsal spaces, show times, and parent involvement. In order to facilitate this process we supply you with a school residency co-ordinator manual as well as a parent co-ordinator manual.
Monday
When the residency week arrives it all gets pretty big and exciting. On Monday morning at 7:30 we load in all of our props, costumes, lighting and sound. We meet with staff, then set up for an assembly for the whole school. Here we introduce the Residency process and get to know the school. Then the workshops take place, with 3-8 workshops happening at the same time all day long. Every class get a workshop on Monday. After school on Monday the Trickster team hangs curtains from the gym ceiling and sets up all of the lighting and sound.
Tusday, Wednesday and Thursday
Every class gets a workshop Tuesday to Thursday. All day Tuesday and Wednesday we work with the classes to create and rehearse the show. Meanwhile our parent team liason is working with the parent team to help organize the sewing of costumes, making of props, and helping with scripting. Thursday we work in the morning with students; and then start bringing classes down one at a time to the gym Thursday afternoon to add lights, sound effects and music to the show. This goes on until noon Friday.
Friday - it's Show Time!
Friday afternoon there is a show for students and parents, and Friday night there is another show for parents. (if there is enough room for parents and students in the gym at the same time, there is only a show Friday night and longer rehearsal blocks).
After the last show we take it all down (90 minutes) , load up the trailer and van, and then take a rest until the next project starts on Monday.
Post Residency
We hope that the residency will influence your future assemblies and concerts. The teacher kits are a blueprint to assist teachers in being able to re-create the basic process used in creating the show.
Also, all of your teachers will be able to access the lesson plans and other resources on the Act2learn website. These resources are set up to support teachers who want to increase the physical learning opportunities for children in their classes. The lesson plans use animated diagrams and videos to give a detailed description of how to teach in a manner that gives children the opportunity to explore the curriculum in a physical way. These tools allow your students to act out the curriculum. So now your residency week is just one component of a year-long Action Learning program!
See the Act2learn section of this website for more details.
