Black Lives Matter
One of our greatest privileges at Compass Creative Dramatics is connecting with young people across a wide section of the United States and sharing the lessons we feel are inherent to creating theatre: empathy, bravery, connection, among many others. We share in the pain expressed by communities across the country caused by the mistreatment, oppression, and murder of our Black citizens and are inspired by the bravery of those who are standing up to fight for justice.
Compass Creative Dramatics is committed to making the theatre a space in which all young people and families are welcome. We believe that systemic racism denies people of color equal access to public spaces and their basic human rights. We are committed to fighting systemic racism and working towards racial justice within our organization and in the communities we are a part of. We demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony Mccade, and the countless others that have been lost and victimized by the hands of law enforcement and others whose actions demonstrate their disregard for Black lives. We recognize that addressing these challenges demands additional action beyond the scope of our work as theatre educators.
We have chosen to make a donation to Color Of Change, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end practices and systems that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. If you are encouraged to join us in supporting Color of Change, you can visit their website at https://colorofchange.org/ and make a donation here https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/support-us.
We also implore those who have children in their lives to take the time to speak with them about racial injustice in America and around the world. It's never too early to have open and honest communication with the next generation. These conversations at all ages are truly a necessary step toward the changes we need. If you're a caregiver and you're feeling uncertain of how to begin that process or would like more support, see our resource links below for suggestions.
If you are looking for other ways to show support and take action,please see resources below.
In solidarity,
Cassandra Quinn + the Compass Team
Educational Resources for Caregivers:
This article helps explain research that shows that racial bias begin in babies at 6 months
NPR Life Kit - Talking About Race with Young Children
A Resource Roundup of how to talk to kids about Race
For parents of white children: Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America
Want to do more?
Looking for more organizations to make a financial contribution to? We'd love to suggest Equal Justice Initiative. The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. https://eji.org/
For those feeling unsure of how to get involved but want to contribute, this list of action items has been circulating on Facebook, and we think it's a great place to start:
"Not everyone is made for the frontline, so don’t guilt trip yourself because you think you MUST be on the frontlines to support! This goes out especially to the disabled, chronically ill, their caretakers, nurses/doctors, grocery store workers, farmers, and all other essential persons.
✔️ SUPPORT IN OTHER WAYS ✔️
💸 Donate to a BAIL FUND in your area or around the country
💊 Donate MEDICAL SUPPLIES to people working as medics at the protests
🥩 FEED PEOPLE - buy food and water, or make food, and donate it to those who are part of or affected by the protests
🥛 VOLUNTEER at non-hot zone areas to supply food and water
📢 Continue to EDUCATE the people around you - this is also emotional labor
🚗 PICK UP people from the hot-zone if they need it
🐥 Offer to WATCH KIDS if their parents are organizers and need to be on the frontline
🚨 CONFRONT RACISM wherever you see it, online and with family/friends
📲 SHARE LINKS to every resource for protestors you can find - bail funds, information for those arrested, safety precautions, updates for those in your area, etc
💰 DONATE directly to frontline people and organizations
🖋 WRITE articles and blog posts in support of the ongoing protests
📣 ORGANIZE on your jobs and in your communities for fair and equitable practices
🛌 REST is revolutionary too, so do your best to rest when you can, and take care of yourself and those around you as much as possible."
One of our greatest privileges at Compass Creative Dramatics is connecting with young people across a wide section of the United States and sharing the lessons we feel are inherent to creating theatre: empathy, bravery, connection, among many others. We share in the pain expressed by communities across the country caused by the mistreatment, oppression, and murder of our Black citizens and are inspired by the bravery of those who are standing up to fight for justice.
Compass Creative Dramatics is committed to making the theatre a space in which all young people and families are welcome. We believe that systemic racism denies people of color equal access to public spaces and their basic human rights. We are committed to fighting systemic racism and working towards racial justice within our organization and in the communities we are a part of. We demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony Mccade, and the countless others that have been lost and victimized by the hands of law enforcement and others whose actions demonstrate their disregard for Black lives. We recognize that addressing these challenges demands additional action beyond the scope of our work as theatre educators.
We have chosen to make a donation to Color Of Change, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end practices and systems that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. If you are encouraged to join us in supporting Color of Change, you can visit their website at https://colorofchange.org/ and make a donation here https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/support-us.
We also implore those who have children in their lives to take the time to speak with them about racial injustice in America and around the world. It's never too early to have open and honest communication with the next generation. These conversations at all ages are truly a necessary step toward the changes we need. If you're a caregiver and you're feeling uncertain of how to begin that process or would like more support, see our resource links below for suggestions.
If you are looking for other ways to show support and take action,please see resources below.
In solidarity,
Cassandra Quinn + the Compass Team
Educational Resources for Caregivers:
This article helps explain research that shows that racial bias begin in babies at 6 months
NPR Life Kit - Talking About Race with Young Children
A Resource Roundup of how to talk to kids about Race
For parents of white children: Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America
Want to do more?
Looking for more organizations to make a financial contribution to? We'd love to suggest Equal Justice Initiative. The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. https://eji.org/
For those feeling unsure of how to get involved but want to contribute, this list of action items has been circulating on Facebook, and we think it's a great place to start:
"Not everyone is made for the frontline, so don’t guilt trip yourself because you think you MUST be on the frontlines to support! This goes out especially to the disabled, chronically ill, their caretakers, nurses/doctors, grocery store workers, farmers, and all other essential persons.
✔️ SUPPORT IN OTHER WAYS ✔️
💸 Donate to a BAIL FUND in your area or around the country
💊 Donate MEDICAL SUPPLIES to people working as medics at the protests
🥩 FEED PEOPLE - buy food and water, or make food, and donate it to those who are part of or affected by the protests
🥛 VOLUNTEER at non-hot zone areas to supply food and water
📢 Continue to EDUCATE the people around you - this is also emotional labor
🚗 PICK UP people from the hot-zone if they need it
🐥 Offer to WATCH KIDS if their parents are organizers and need to be on the frontline
🚨 CONFRONT RACISM wherever you see it, online and with family/friends
📲 SHARE LINKS to every resource for protestors you can find - bail funds, information for those arrested, safety precautions, updates for those in your area, etc
💰 DONATE directly to frontline people and organizations
🖋 WRITE articles and blog posts in support of the ongoing protests
📣 ORGANIZE on your jobs and in your communities for fair and equitable practices
🛌 REST is revolutionary too, so do your best to rest when you can, and take care of yourself and those around you as much as possible."
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Your local students + 2 Chicago actors = an amazing musical in just one week! Each year, thousands of students across the USA learn, play, and perform alongside two Chicago teaching artists. Throughout their theatre week, students stretch their creativity and bravery muscles as they deepen their trust, respect, responsibility, teamwork, and empathy. Programs are available for students as young as 3K (Creative Play) up through 12th grade (Script Development and Performance). |
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We partner with:
If you know of an organization in your area that might be a great fit for a children's theatre week, we'd love to hear from you! |