Co/lab And Bluelaces Theater Co Collaborate On Summer Theater Camp For Young Actors With Developmental Disabilities

CO/LAB (Creative Opportunities without Limits And Boundaries) Theater Group and Bluelaces Theater Company, two nonprofit theater organizations dedicated to providing theater programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, are again partnering to offer a summer day camp called Camp BlueLAB. From August 20-31, Camp BlueLAB will bring summer theater fun to kids ages 9-13 with developmental disabilities. This two-week program will give campers an opportunity to explore fundamentals of theater and to devise original material around the theme of "beach." The program will culminate in an informal sharing at the end of two-week session.

The program will be facilitated by a neuro-diverse team of counselors from both organizations including members of CO/LAB's Leadership Initiative, which supports select CO/LAB participants as they transition into leadership roles. With few leadership roles for individuals with developmental disabilities, this initiative directly responds to both a need in the community, and the wants voiced by CO/LAB actors. "Our Leadership Initiative is a big step forward in the opportunities we offer to our participants, says CO/LAB's Director of Programming Arielle Lever. "Actors who have been with us for several season and who have sharpened their theatrical and social skills through our classes now have an opportunity to use them in leadership positions, while also mentoring young actors in the Camp BlueLAB program," notes Lever.

Both CO/LAB and Bluelaces share the belief that all individuals, with or without a developmental disability, should have the opportunity to experience the magic of theater in a lively and welcoming environment. CO/LAB's mission focuses primarily on providing adults with developmental disabilities-a generally underserved demographic-a creative and social outlet through theater arts, while Bluelaces' programming provides individualized attention and interactive, flexible participation for neuro-diverse audiences. After a weeklong pilot program in August 2017, the two organizations are excited to grow the program this year.

"Our work at Bluelaces is, at its core, about participation and inclusion and creates spaces where everyone can equally create and consume theater," says Lindsay Amer, Bluelaces' Artistic Associate, "This collaboration brings together such a diverse mix of participants and affirms the missions of both of organizations in such an exciting and uplifting way."

• For more information about CO/LAB Theater Group's programs, visit colabtheatergroup.com.

• For more information about Bluelaces Theater Company's programs visit bluelaces.org.