The Kaleidoscope Project is intended to bring together many perspectives and views that result in a beautiful pattern. Through a partnership between Community Arts Initiatives, Inc. (CAI) and Metzcor LLC, participants at Metzcor are being introduced to core theatre arts activities during their day program.
Metzcor, LLC was founded by Ashleigh and Michael Metz as a way to bring a fun and modern approach to providing services to adults with developmental disabilities.
Metzcor provides an Adult Day program that is centered on enriching the lives of adults with disabilities by providing them with opportunities to be a valued and contributing member of their community.
Metzcor provides individuals with a safe work environment where they can develop new vocational and social skills and become more independent in all aspects of their lives.
Goal
This project was created to improve
communication skills and enhance social-emotional learning through theatre arts programming.
-
A clearer understanding of personal strengths and needs
-
The introduction of new ways to communicate personal needs
-
The providing of tools to work through anxiety
-
Development of trust and sense of acceptance
Theater Class
30-minute weekly classes
MOVEMENT: Exercises in each session are focused on physical gestures, blocking, and movement with a goal of helping the students better control their bodies inside & outside class.
VOICE: Vocal exercises encourage students to practice vocal notes and tunes for songs, helping with overall communication skills.
ACTING: These exercises help with remembering lines of dialogue and character creations with a goal to improve memory recall and processing time.
Future
The future plan includes the
producing a musical, leveraging
the abilities, talents, and interests
of this program’s population which ranges in age from 19 to 78 and
whose participants include verbal/nonverbal, and full to limited mobility.
Although there are several programs across the country through which students with disabilities are engaged in theatre games, classes, activities, there is no program anywhere in which adults with disabilities are brough together to “mount a musical.”
DRIVEN TO SUCCESS
The program started in October 2020 with three classes and 23 students. Initially, classes were held virtually through Zoom because of COVID but even through a pandemic the program was deemed an immediate success by the staff at Metzcor and has grown:
-
March 28 - May 27, 2022, 120 participants, 9 classes, 2 locations
-
June 6 - August 10, 2022, 120 participants, 9 classes, 2 locations
-
Sept 2 - Dec 10, 2022, 130 participants, 9 classes, 2 locations
-
Jan 9 - 26, 2023, 142 participants, 9 classes, 1 location
-
May 15 – Jul 11, 2023, 156 participants, 9 classes, 1 location
-
Aug 21- Current 2023, 162 participants, 10 classes, 1 location
Debbie Hill; Founder & Executive Director debbie@communityartsinitiatives.org 513-379-2108 © 2023 by Community Arts Initiative