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By Marilo Nuñez and Sigrid Velis
As one of Canada's leading Latin American theatre companies, we feel it is our role to reach out and support our youth.
Nueva Voz means “a new voice”. At Alameda Theatre it means creating a place for the next generation of Canadian Latin American artists to find their voices, to speak their minds. This takes courage, creates empowerment and encourages risk-taking and trust. These four words describe the foundation of Nueva Voz: A Latino Youth Theatre Initiative. We are creating space for discourse and learning through theatre arts training. It is a place for us to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable, our youth, the leaders of tomorrow. Nueva Voz is a free after school theatre program geared towards Latino youth aged 14-19, which addresses issues that pertain only to them. Latino’s have one of the highest dropout rate percentages in Toronto. The statistics tell us 1 in 10 Latin American born youth will drop out of high school before the age of eighteen. We need a program like Nueva Voz to motivate our youth by giving them the tools and encouragement to succeed.
Our hope with Nueva Voz is that by exposing the youth to theatre and the arts, we will inspire them to either choose a career in the arts or utilize the skills they learn through the program in their professional and personal lives. It is statistically proven that arts programs improve social skills and can increase self-confidence and self-esteem. Arts programs increase creativity and the use of the imagination, fostering new ways of looking at the world and expanding our understanding of one’s place in it. Arts programs encourage innovation and nonlinear thinking, skills that can be used not only in academic settings but in the professional world as well. The youth in our program have made new friends, shared stories and collaborated on creating a piece of theatre based on their own unique experiences.
“Nueva Voz has been amazing so far. I've grown so much as a person and as an actor. They have made me do things that I never thought I could do, and I am loving it. My expectations were blown away. I never imagined it was going to be such a welcoming program. Best of all it is free! The group has become like a second family to me. I've made new friends and met so many talented people. I applied because I want to pursue my dream of becoming an actor and I know this is going to help me make it come true. This is important because I’m Latino and sometimes we as Latinos feel that we have no voice having arrived from another country.
I thank everyone involved in making this program happen. They are amazing for doing this, and helping make our dreams come true, because nobody can tell us ‘you can’t be an actor.’”
2012 Nueva Voz Participant
As one of Canada's leading Latin American theatre companies, we feel it is our role to reach out and support our youth.
Nueva Voz means “a new voice”. At Alameda Theatre it means creating a place for the next generation of Canadian Latin American artists to find their voices, to speak their minds. This takes courage, creates empowerment and encourages risk-taking and trust. These four words describe the foundation of Nueva Voz: A Latino Youth Theatre Initiative. We are creating space for discourse and learning through theatre arts training. It is a place for us to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable, our youth, the leaders of tomorrow. Nueva Voz is a free after school theatre program geared towards Latino youth aged 14-19, which addresses issues that pertain only to them. Latino’s have one of the highest dropout rate percentages in Toronto. The statistics tell us 1 in 10 Latin American born youth will drop out of high school before the age of eighteen. We need a program like Nueva Voz to motivate our youth by giving them the tools and encouragement to succeed.
Our hope with Nueva Voz is that by exposing the youth to theatre and the arts, we will inspire them to either choose a career in the arts or utilize the skills they learn through the program in their professional and personal lives. It is statistically proven that arts programs improve social skills and can increase self-confidence and self-esteem. Arts programs increase creativity and the use of the imagination, fostering new ways of looking at the world and expanding our understanding of one’s place in it. Arts programs encourage innovation and nonlinear thinking, skills that can be used not only in academic settings but in the professional world as well. The youth in our program have made new friends, shared stories and collaborated on creating a piece of theatre based on their own unique experiences.
“Nueva Voz has been amazing so far. I've grown so much as a person and as an actor. They have made me do things that I never thought I could do, and I am loving it. My expectations were blown away. I never imagined it was going to be such a welcoming program. Best of all it is free! The group has become like a second family to me. I've made new friends and met so many talented people. I applied because I want to pursue my dream of becoming an actor and I know this is going to help me make it come true. This is important because I’m Latino and sometimes we as Latinos feel that we have no voice having arrived from another country.
I thank everyone involved in making this program happen. They are amazing for doing this, and helping make our dreams come true, because nobody can tell us ‘you can’t be an actor.’”
2012 Nueva Voz Participant
This year marks Alameda Theatre Company’s first Nueva Voz Youth Program. The five Latino youth who were chosen for the program will present a showcase of the work they have spent the last four months developing and creating. They received workshops from theatre professionals, learning skills in: Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Set/Lighting Design, Spoken Word, Clown and Improv.
The program took place from February to June at The Centre for Spanish Speaking People, our community sponsor. It will culminate in a public presentation on June 16th, 2012 at Theatre Direct, another integral community partner. The program was co-facilitated by Lauren Brotman and Anita La Selva, two distinguished theatre educators, and included guest instructors: Adam Paolozza, Antonio Cayonne, Amaranta Leyva, Robin Riddihough, David DeGrow, Olga Barrios, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Marilo Nuñez.
This year’s participants are from all different parts of the GTA, and none of the youth knew each other before starting the program. Only a few of them had had some sort of theatre training in the past. We have youth who were born in Canada and others who were born in Latin America and who have been in the country for only a couple of years. The program is bi-lingual and we feel this is important because it allows the youth to express themselves in both Spanish and English.
Nueva Voz: A Latino Youth Theatre Initiative will now become an integral component of Alameda Theatre Company and we hope we can begin to reach more and more Latino youth in the years to come. Our ideal outcome would be that graduates from the program become part of the Alameda family and play an integral part in our future productions as actors, playwrights, directors or designers.
Alameda Theatre Company produces exceptional Canadian theatre with a distinct Latin American perspective. We support the development of Canadian Latin American playwrights and create professional opportunities for Latin American artists. We mentor the next generation of Latin American artists in Canada.
The 2012 Nueva Voz presentation will be on June 16th, 2012, 8pm at Theatre Direct, 601 Christie St at the Wychwood Arts Barns.Tickets are PWYC with a suggested donation of $5. For more information about the program or to learn more about Alameda Theatre Company please visit http://www.alamedatheatre.com.
The program took place from February to June at The Centre for Spanish Speaking People, our community sponsor. It will culminate in a public presentation on June 16th, 2012 at Theatre Direct, another integral community partner. The program was co-facilitated by Lauren Brotman and Anita La Selva, two distinguished theatre educators, and included guest instructors: Adam Paolozza, Antonio Cayonne, Amaranta Leyva, Robin Riddihough, David DeGrow, Olga Barrios, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Marilo Nuñez.
This year’s participants are from all different parts of the GTA, and none of the youth knew each other before starting the program. Only a few of them had had some sort of theatre training in the past. We have youth who were born in Canada and others who were born in Latin America and who have been in the country for only a couple of years. The program is bi-lingual and we feel this is important because it allows the youth to express themselves in both Spanish and English.
Nueva Voz: A Latino Youth Theatre Initiative will now become an integral component of Alameda Theatre Company and we hope we can begin to reach more and more Latino youth in the years to come. Our ideal outcome would be that graduates from the program become part of the Alameda family and play an integral part in our future productions as actors, playwrights, directors or designers.
Alameda Theatre Company produces exceptional Canadian theatre with a distinct Latin American perspective. We support the development of Canadian Latin American playwrights and create professional opportunities for Latin American artists. We mentor the next generation of Latin American artists in Canada.
The 2012 Nueva Voz presentation will be on June 16th, 2012, 8pm at Theatre Direct, 601 Christie St at the Wychwood Arts Barns.Tickets are PWYC with a suggested donation of $5. For more information about the program or to learn more about Alameda Theatre Company please visit http://www.alamedatheatre.com.