New Voices Project
For Grades 4-12
The New Voices Project is a 12-week in-school residency program in which students develop the skills to write original plays. The program is built on weekly classroom visits by a Theatre for a New Audience-trained teaching artist in which the elements of playwriting are taught and culminates in readings of students’ original plays presented by professional actors. The program can be tailored to meet specific school needs and classroom curricular goals.
All lessons are hands-on and address the New York City Department of Education’s Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Theatre and the New York State Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy.
Program Components
10 artist visits in the classroom
A Theatre for a New Audience-trained teaching artist teaches the elements of playwriting through hands-on lessons and guides students as they write their own short plays.
4 hours of professional development workshops for teachers
Four hours of professional development workshops for teachers focused on using playwriting to build literacy skills and collaborating to meet students' learning needs through theatre activities during the residency.
An Actor Workshop with professional actors
Professional actors join the students, their teacher, and their TFANA Teaching Artist in the classroom to read students' works-in-progress and improvise student ideas for scenes, in order to help students develop their scripts and overcome writers' block.
Culminating Event
To honor students’ work, the actors return and perform staged readings of students' completed scripts for an audience of parents, administration, and peers.
A Reflection Session
The teaching artist, students, and teachers reflect on the experience of the residency and culminating event.
By Milton Glaser
75%
Thanks to the support of various private and public funds, we are able to offer NYC public schools a subsidy that will cover approximately 75% of the program cost.
Program Info
For further information regarding our programs, please contact:
Lindsay Tanner
Education Director
T: 212-229-2819 ext. 18
E: [email protected]
Partner Schools
Theatre for a New Audience is currently seeking Partner Schools. Interested schools are invited to reach out to the Education Director for a conversation about goals and needs, to see if a New Voices Project residency is the right fit for your school community.