The Very Useful Theatre Company (VUTC) is offering an accessible arts initiative for young people for its season this September.
The program was created to ensure that community theatre is accessible to individuals with communication differences, particularly those with aphasia, according to a news release.
This year’s youth productions will be created with aphasia-friendly support, allowing those with aphasia to be included in this year’s festivities.
Aphasia is a language problem that can occur after a stroke or traumatic brain injury, and can impact an individual’s ability to produce language (message out) and/or understand language (message in). Supports such as Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia techniques from the Aphasia Institute use tools like key wording, body language, and verification to help facilitate communication for individuals with aphasia.
Led by Kira Rosenbloom, the artistic director of the VUTC Young Company and master’s candidate in speech-language pathology at the University of Toronto, and in collaboration with the Aphasia Institute, young artists will have the opportunity to participate in aphasia and communication workshops where they will learn about aphasia, how to support communication for individuals with aphasia and take part in creating the supports that will make this year's performance aphasia friendly, the theatre stated.
Upon completion, The VUTC Young Company will perform plays they themselves have written, are acting in and directing on their performance date — 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 8 — in the 2024 Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays. The festival runs from Sept. 5 to 8.
"At The VUTC we believe that theatre is for everyone, and we are excited to not only be a part of this shift in our field, but to inspire others to join us in making the arts more accessible," the release stated.
Find out more about The Very Useful Theatre Company and the Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays at www.oneactplayfestival.com.
