Celebrating COMMUNITY, DIVERSITY and INCLUSIVITY in theatre!
By Roman Berry | Artistic Director - Divergent Theatre Collective
As passionate theatre makers, we must strive to make Theatre & The Arts matter again. There’s more to be done with artistic & creative education, especially in the early years. Reminiscing as a child, it was something I loved, growing up surrounded by encouragement from parents, teachers, neighbours, family members. I LOVED community choir practice, drawing, performing, acting, dancing, singing, writing & reciting poems, at local community & schools. An activity I always looked forward to attending and participating!
We need to foster the Arts from the early age, let childhood immerse in it. The lack of artistic curriculum in schools, sometimes due to limited funding or seen as ‘not a priority’ in early education hinders discovering and enjoying it!
The apathy is also reflected now, with austerity measures by governments, the Arts funding (or not a priority), especially in the grassroots and community level, are in the firing line. It’s getting harder to enjoy and watch theatre shows. New & important stories, Independent Theatre makers gets lost over mainstream & big budget productions, which has hefty cost (and rising) to see, often reruns of past shows.
We need to challenge the status quo. We need to empower the theatre makers, the dreamers, creators, educators, artists, storytellers and every child who craves for the ARTS. If you know of anyone involved in theatre, the arts in general, GO ENCOURAGE & support them! Arts is LIFE & everyone involved in THE ARTS contributes to life’s JOY! It is our legacy.
I truly believe that THEATRE and THE ARTS, heightens our own sensitivities, it enhances our cultural knowledge and give us a broader understanding of our world! It strengthens our shared sense of humanity.
Celebrating #COMMUNITY, #DIVERSITY and #INCLUSIVITY in theatre!
Rehearsal Photo by Headshot Toby (Toby Lee) From October 2018 It Tastes Like Home – The Musical By Lorna Well