DAREarts Partners with Vancouver Opera for new Arts Program

Vancouver Opera's upcoming production of Mozart's Don Giovanni is supporting the successful return of DAREarts' innovative arts program to Vancouver. More than 50 Grade 6 & 7 students from Queen Alexandra Public School, Lord Strathcona Public School, Britannia Community School, Hastings Elementary and Admiral Seymour Elementary School will highlight their creativity through the inspiration of VO's March 2014 production of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The two-week-long program, running from Monday, November 25th to Saturday December 7th, explores the themes of Don Giovanni as the children engage in visual arts, writing, music, dance, drama, videography and media arts .

"Through these mediums, the children will explore ways that the values of Discipline, Action, Responsibility and Excellence can guide them through challenging times to become leaders," says Marilyn Field, DAREarts Founder. "The children will create art work that will be the voice of their self-exploration and artistic interpretation of these DAREarts values."

Their inspired performance piece and artwork will be showcased for the public at The Michael & Inna O'Brian Centre for Vancouver Opera, 1955 McLean Drive, on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. The media are invited for a preview of this incredible experience before the show at 1:15 p.m. and/or following the performance at 2:00 p.m.

The program is a partnership of Vancouver Opera and DAREarts, a non-profit charity that uses the arts to ignite change in young Canadians.

DAREarts' arts education programs empower children in high-priority communities to become leaders. DAREarts builds courage and confidence in children, enabling them to become leaders by harnessing the core power of the arts - Discipline, Action, Responsibility and Excellence. Canadian Charitable No. 88691 7764 RR0002.

DAREarts' unique programs work with 9-14 year olds in both urban and rural areas, including aboriginal communities. The children explore world cultures while they themselves paint, sculpt, sing, dance, compose, design, write, act and create, guided by arts professionals. DAREarts provides much-needed opportunities for children to discover how to express themselves in positive ways and to experience a broader range of activities beyond what is available to them. The children gain leadership skills by returning to their schools and teaching their classmates what they have learned. Currently in its 18th year, DAREarts has influenced more than 180,000 Canadian children.

Vancouver Opera is the second largest opera company in Canada. It is regarded worldwide for its fine mainstage productions; for its country-leading education programs, which have reached more than 1.6 million children and their families; for its innovative and award-winning community programs; and for forging ground-breaking cross-cultural creative partnerships that have brought opera to new generations of Canadians. VO's production of Don Giovanni opens March 1, 2014.

This project has been generously sponsored by DAREarts' Lead Sponsor Northbridge and Telus.

For more information,please visit www.darearts.com and www.vancouveropera.ca.

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