Creative Cauldron Receives Grants for Technical Theater Training Program

Creative Cauldron has received funding from from the Arts Council of Fairfax County and The Hanlon Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia to support a new Technical Theater Training Program for At-Risk Youth, in partnership with Homestretch, Inc. The Arts Council of Fairfax County awarded the project a 2 to 1 matching grant of $2,500. The Hanlon Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia awarded the project an additional $2,500.

Through The Technical Theater Training Project, beginning this month, Creative Cauldron will give Homestretch students grades 7-12 the opportunity to participate in an intensive lighting design and technical training workshop where they will learn the fundamentals of design for theatrical and concert lighting. Homestretch, Inc. empowers Northern Virginia homeless families to attain permanent housing and self-sufficiency by giving them the skills, knowledge and the hope they need to become productive participants in the community. Homestretch teens participating in Technical Theater Training project will learn about lighting equipment, safety, electricity usage, and how to program and operate a computerized lighting board. Some graduates of the program will then be hired as part-time lighting technicians during Creative Cauldron's 2016-17 performance season, and will be connected with the burgeoning DC metro area theater community for future employment opportunities.

"The new program that Creative Cauldron is beginning will extend a special opportunity for teens from our client families to learn about the world of technical theater," says Jaclyn Merrills, Homestretch Youth and Family Coordinator. "The professional training that they will receive will certainly be of value as they begin to explore their future career interests and options for employment."

"Creative Cauldron has always believed in the transformative power of the arts," says Producing Director Laura Connors Hull, "but in this case it's not just about the art. The Technical Theater Training Project is an investment in the economic future of our booming industry. It will teach these teens that the arts can be followed as a passion - but also can provide a career path."

Creative Cauldron is seeking matching funds to support the Technical Theater Training Project. Individuals interested in contributing should visit www.creativecauldron.org