Arts-in-Action just got word that the Wordsmiths HAVE BEEN SELECTED! Yes, we submitted an audition video to bid for a place at the ‘Contacting the World 2012′ international youth theatre festival and we HAVE BEEN SELECTED!

Ten years ago, in 2002, Arts-in-Action placed a bid, made it through to the very first edition of the festival, and left a permanent mark on the event. For 2012, our young people are are going.

CONGRATS GO OUT TO ANISTY CYRUS, DANIELLE LEWIS, SHEVAUGHN RAGBIR, and JUSTIN MCKENZIE!

CONGRATS WORDSMITHS! NOW, LET’S MAKE SOME THEATRE!

Arts-in-Action has been offering ‘Action Learning’ training to teachers, artists and community workers since 1994. These workshops have been facilitated locally, in countries across the Caribbean (e.g. St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent, Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, and Suriname), as well as internationally, in the United States (New York, Michigan, Atlanta, Washington), the United Kingdom (Manchester, Leeds, London) and Austria, to name a few.

On Saturday 29th October 2011, from 9am to 4pm, Arts-in-Action will facilitate this workshop at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts on Agostini Street, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. The workshop is being offered to teachers at the discounted fee of $200.00, which includes materials and lunch; and $150.00, which covers materials only.

‘Action Learning’ caters for 25 participants, and as such space is limited. To reserve your space, make your booking by emailing email@artsinaction.org or by calling or texting 334-9645 on or before Friday 21st October.

We look forward to seeing you there and to having a day of fun and learning.

With best wishes,

Marvin George (MA, Leeds; BA Hons. UWI)
Artistic Director

Arielle, performing in New York

Arielle John is an exceptional poet. She is also one of Arts-in-Action’s Wordsmiths, and currently reading for a degree in Theatre Arts at the City University of New York. After participating as the Wordsmiths’ team captain at the Brave New Voices poetry slam in 2008, as a finalist in the festival’s Speak Green competition in 2009, then again as a young intern in 2010 she was invited by the festival’s organisers to serve as one of their ‘Future Corps’; a programme that mentors BNV’s alumni and young artists as events managers. What can we say, except for, “Go Arielle and do us proud; again!”

In keeping with the UN declaration of 2011 as the year for people of African descent, this year the theme will be “SARAKA!”. The Saraka is a feast of thanksgiving celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago (as well as Grenada and Carriacou). It is a tradition bequeathed to us by Africans who came to Trinidad via the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and was used to pay homage to ancestors and ancestral homelands. The title itself marks a creative attempt at conceptualizing the idea of giving thanks for the contributions made by Africans to Trinidad and Tobago’s multi-cultural landscape; showcasing our local African heritage through the visual and performing arts. This year, our campers will enjoy an experience inclusive of mas making, storytelling, drama, folk-dancing, drumming and music workshops and performance. Weekly visits to the pool and field trips will also be included in the camp package.

Discovery Camp 2011 will offer two cycles: the first from July 11th to 30th and a second cycle from August 8th to 27th. The camp will run from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m at the Department of Creative and Festival Arts on Agostini Street, UWI, St. Augustine.

For more information please contact Alicia Goddard, camp coordinator, atarts.inaction@sta.uwi.edu or discoverycamp@artsinaction.org or call 663-0327 (direct line) / 663-2002 ext 2377.