Child Drama and Community Program

Hampshire Theatre houses the only Child Drama and Community Program in the Five Colleges. This interdisciplinary program operates in conjunction with the Critical Studies in Childhood, Youth, and Learning (CYL) Program and provides courses and learning activities on subjects ranging from creative drama to theatre for young audiences (TYA). The program also manages Seedling Productions (the TYA branch of the theatre program), offers teacher licensure in theatre for K-12, workshops for children, professional development for teachers, and is connected with numerous community organizations and schools. Natalie Sowell manages the Child Drama and Community Program in collaboration with the theatre faculty and staff and the CYL faculty and staff.

Theatre for social change is the umbrella under which the Child Drama and Community curriculum falls. From creative drama and theatre for young audiences to storytelling and theatre of the oppressed, each mode of expression is a tool for empowerment and social change. This philosophy makes our program unique in the field of child drama nationally. Our approach to education and drama combines practical experiences with a child-centered critical pedagogy philosophy. This approach also makes us stand out amongst other college-based theatre and education programs.

Additional child drama resources