Victory Gardens Announces StudentsFirst Virtual Fundraising Event

Victory Gardens Theater announces the Voices of Tomorrow: Their World on Stage fundraising event on December 9, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. The virtual event will showcase powerful and moving spoken word and artistic works created by CPS students in Victory Garden's Drama in the Schools program, performed by professional Chicago actors.

Registration for the free event is available at https://victorygardens.org/event/voices-of-tomorrow-their-world-on-stage/. Sponsorships are also available for the event. For more information, contact Kelly Carr, Development Associate, at kcarr@victorygardens.org. All donations from the evening will support StudentsFirst, VG's program serving Chicago youth through immersive arts education.

The Host Committee for the event is Anu Behari, Penny Brown, Chanel W. Coney, Brienne Letourneau, Kate Tillotson, and Sue E. Wallace.

Sue E. Wallace is the Amplifier Sponsor for Voices of Tomorrow: Their World on Stage.

Chicago students have experienced a year unlike any other, between the 2019 teacher's strike, COVD-19, and social movements in response to systemic racism and police brutality. Utilizing skills learned from VG's Drama in the School curriculum, students will use their artistic voices to addressever-changing world around them, create societal change, and tell their own stories.

"Victory Garden's work with students in our CPS partner schools and organizations has always been vital to our mission and annual programming. With our theaters quiet due to the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to direct more of our focus to bolstering the voices of tomorrow. Given everything that is going on in our city, our nation, and the world, it is critical that we help students lift their voices, and that we listen to them," comments Acting Managing Director Roxanna Conner. "We know that today's students are tomorrow's leaders, and it is vital that they know that we are listening-especially in these moments of uncertainty. VG is doing all that we can to provide our students with the tools to process the world around them and empower them to steer us forward."

All students participating in VG's StudentsFirst education programs are invited to submit their work to be presented in this showcase. Students whose pieces are selected for the showcase will each receive a $500 scholarship prize and have their work performed by professional actors at the Voices of Tomorrow event. Participating schools include Harlan Community Academy (Roseland), Simeon Career Academy (Chatham), Kenwood Community Academy (Kenwood), Senn High School (Edgewater), Alcott College Prep (North Center), Lincoln Park High School (Lincoln Park), Prosser Career Academy (Belmont Cragin) and Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School (Douglas).

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