CHILDREN IN ORPHANAGES THEATRE SCHEME [COTS]

“Adults use language to communicate, children use play”

The Children in Orphanages Scheme (COTS) aims to provide orphanages in those countries affected by famine, war, Aids, and other social issues, with children’s theatre and expressive arts productions to go some way towards mending the emotional and psychological damage they have suffered.  The project targets children who are classed as OUTCASTS in their society through no fault of their own

It aims to bring play therapy, drama and the expressive arts to children orphaned in countries where access to the creative arts is limited or non existent in order to bring joy, creativity, and a method of coping into their lives.

Children use play ‘as a way of making sense of their world and what is happening to them in that world’ (Ann Cattanach).  As drama is essentially play and is a medium which can, through many exercises, transcend language barriers, it was thought this was one way of providing educational development and play for these children. 

We are talking to people involved in working with children in these orphanages and all have basically said “Come tomorrow!”.

Aim: To take Theatre and the Creative Arts to children in overseas orphanages who already have their basic needs met but have no creative stimulation which aids their normal development.

How:

• Short term teams [4-6 people] visiting orphanages in an area and working with the children in creativity. Also, teaching and working with the workers and local artists in the orphanage to help them see the benefit and help them be creative with the children in the absence of the team. The teams would revisit orphanages in subsequent years to monitor and develop.


• Possibility of taking children’s theatre productions out to the orphanages and developing work as the project progresses and also working with Street Kids on productions that give them a voice [eg. girls who are forced into prostitution at an early age]

Who: The teams would be made up of trained Tutors and/or Creative artists / Students on placements. We will have input from people in the relevant countries and have tutors come and give Masterclasses or Tutorials in areas the actors were not experienced in. We will begin to collaborate with artists both here and in the countries as the project progresses.

Projects: Our first project will be in Blantyre, Malawi where we will be working with local Teachers to teach them how to use creativity in Education and in the afternoons, we will work with children in some orphanages and street children.

Funding: These are fairly expensive projects, so we are actively involved in raising funds through Trusts etc. If you would like to donate then please contact us direct.

For more information contact Suzanne at Cutting Edge direct.

Watch this space for news on productions!

Cutting Edge Theatre Productions
6 Albion Terrace
Edinburgh
EH7 5QX

0131 652 0968

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