CADA News and information!
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Some thoughts from your newsletter editor:
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May and June are prime time months for gardeners. Your editor apologizes for spending a great deal of time in the garden rather than online the past few weeks. Now the garden is all planted and mulched and everything is growing happily!
Non-profits also need tending in order to nurture growth. The Center for Applied Drama and Autism is preparing for a new growing season. Earlier this year, we applied for some major grants and funding for new and continuing projects. We hope to be sharing the results of those efforts very soon!
Meanwhile, enjoy your gardens, whether it be a simple geranium in a pot or a vegetable bed or a full blown formal garden! Gardens give us peace, respite and hope for new growth!
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Summer Saturday Youth Programming at
The Center for Applied Drama and Autism
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Join us for summer Saturday fun days at CADA! Summer classes begin June 29 and go through August 31. This summer, students and families can choose to attend for the entire 10 weeks ($260) or take the Drop In option ($26 per class). We will be offering two time slots: Elementary and Teens. Additionally, we are featuring some special activities as listed below. You need not sign up for a specific number of dates - drop in and have some summer theatre fun!
9:30 - 10:30 -- elementary/middle school
10:45 - 11-45 -- teens/young adults
June 29 -- Improv for All (both classes)
July 6 -- Improv for All (both classes)
July 13 -- Improv for All (both classes)
July 20 -- Puppets (elementary) & Masks (teens)
July 27 -- Puppets (elementary) & Masks (teens)
Aug 3 -- Puppets (elementary) & Masks (teens)
Aug 10 -- Make a Play (elementary), Make a Video (teens)
Aug 17 -- Make a Play (elementary) Make a Video (teens)
Aug 24 -- Make a Play (elementary) Make a Video (teens)
Aug 31 -- Labor Day Improv (both classes)
Saturday, Sept 7 -- Teacher Training Workshop
Saturday, Sept 14 -- CADA/Theatre on the Spectrum Open House
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Accessible Expressions - New Monthly
Open Mic event at the Blue Box Studio
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Theatre on the Spectrum is teaming up with Sharetta Howze to create a monthly open mic opportunity for people with disabilities. Although there are many open mics around the area, not all of them are easily accessible and most are held in the evenings. Ours will be a monthly daytime event which should be easier for people to arrange transportation.
The monthly open mics will take place on the second Monday of each month, beginning on August 12, from 12:30 - 2:30 pm at our Blue Box Studio, 1501 S Hawkins Ave in the New Seasons plaza. Bring your poems, songs, monologues, stand-up comedy, musical instruments and dances to our open mic to share in a supportive and inclusive space. This event is free to the public. Concessions will be on sale to help support this continuing event. Call us at 234-678-7830 for more information
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Above
: Episode #3 of Scott Hudson's video blog. You can check out all our vlogs at The Center for Applied Drama and Autism's
Youtube Channel.
Scott loves movies! Every week the bookmobile pulls up outside our studio and Scott returns with a huge pile of movies. Doing a movie vlog gives Scott an opportunity to share his passion with movie fans. When asked what he has learned from making his video blogs, he says "I have learned to sit up straight and smile and laugh! Creating these vlogs has helped me learn how to organize my thoughts and practice my communication skills. I am learning about the filming process and how to work with editors. I really enjoy feedback, so please visit my vlogs and give them a thumbs up! Don't forget to subscribe!"
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Out and About in the Community!
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Above
: Brian Cogar reacts within the frame of a John Sokol painting on a visit to the Akron Art Museum. The company was inspired by the work of Nick Cave, particularly his sound costumes. We highly recommend Free Thursdays at the Akron Art Museum!
Below
: Jake Dietz, Ruben Ryan and Samir Hammoud pose before a display for Native Gardens at the Cleveland Playhouse. We attended a student matinee of this provocative play that focuses on the boundary line between two homes in an affluent neighborhood in Washington, DC. On one side, a traditional formal garden of long-standing with exotic plants from around the world (pesticides welcome) and on the other an abandoned yard that new owners plan to transform with native plants (organic techniques only). This conflict becomes a metaphor for contemporary issues such as building a wall to control migration, green gardening techniques versus petro-chemical gardening, and the challenges of fostering multi-cultural neighborhoods.
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Below
: Act for Advocacy at Summit Stage Fest. Theatre on the Spectrum Company members working on a scene directed by community disability activist Alicia M Hopkins. Act for Advocacy helps people with disabilities develop the confidence to speak up in oppressive situations. Advocacy can be for oneself, for another individual and for a group of people who may be experiencing bullying and/or other unfair situations arising from daily living.
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Applied Drama for Autism
Teacher Training Workshop -- June 22
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Above
:Acting teacher Debora Totti and class members act out an African folk tale.
Teacher training workshops series continues at CADA!
The Center for Applied Drama and Autism will hold the third in a series of workshops for teachers and teaching artists on Saturday, June 22. The topic for this session is Improvisation for Autism and Special Needs youth and adults.
Our Teacher Training Workshops are taught by CADA co-founders Laura Valendza and Wendy S Duke. The workshops will cover a variety of improvisation techniques and games adapted for youth and adults on the autism spectrum and other special needs populations. Workshops begin at 9 AM and go until 4 PM with a one hour lunch break, and will take place at CADA’s Blue Box Studio located at 1501 S. Hawkins Ave.
Coming up:
Sept 7, 2019: Emotion games/exercises for self-advocacy and dealing with bullying
The six hour workshops are held on Saturdays. CEUS available on request.
Cost of workshops: 6 hours @$150 each. Scholarships available for persons interested in joining CADA as teaching staff. Contact us at 234-678-7830 or by email at info@centerforada.org to enroll and/or for further information.
Laura Valendza is an intervention specialist and a professional actor. Wendy Duke is a drama and autism specialist who is program director for Theatre on the Spectrum, a day theatre program for adults with special needs. Duke and Valendza have presented drama and autism workshops at Milestones National Autism Conferences, Very Special Arts Intersections conferences, National Autism Society and Greater Akron Autism Society.
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Support CADA when shopping at smile.Amazon.com
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.5% of your online purchases at Amazon will be donated to the Center for Applied Drama and Autism. All you have to do is click on the link below that takes you directly to CADA's Smile.Amazon site. Smile.Amazon.com has all the same products and services as Amazon's regular page -- the difference is you will be giving a percentage of your purchase to CADA. It's an easy way to support us!
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Theatre on the Spectrum at Milestones National Autism Conference
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On June 12th at the Milestones National Autism Conference, Theatre on the Spectrum presented "Act for Advocacy," a workshop that helps prepare people on the spectrum of abilities to speak up for their rights and for the rights of others. We were very happy with the response to our workshop! Many passionate advocates were in attendance and made excellent contributions to our scenarios. We felt the power of collective minds working together to solve problems that are all too typical in the daily lives of people with disabilities.
Our workshop covers body language, tone of voice, and words that can de-escalate tense situations. Through use of improvisation and rehearsal (repetition), people with disabilities can prepare for specific situations such as dealing with hostile waitstaff, knowing what to do when accessibility is not a consideration, handling people who choose to bully rather than collaborate on finding solutions. If you would like us to bring Act for Advocacy to your group, please feel free to contact us by email: info@centerforada.org or call the studio at 330-678-7830.
Below
: CADA/Theatre on the Spectrum director, Wendy Duke was given the 2019 Professional Excellence Award by Milestones Autism Resources. She would like to thank Milestones for the honor and give a special shoutout to all her students, past and present, and to all the student volunteers (our Co-Stars!) for their passion and creativity! Wendy also wishes to acknowledge the knowledge and insights of her co-founder, Laura Valendza, without whom CADA would not exist.
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Teacher Training 6 hour Workshop: June 22
Accessible Expressions Open Mic at the Blue Box Theatre - August 12 from 12:30 - 2:30
Summer 2019 Session: June 29 -- August 31
Teacher Training 6 hour Workshop: Sept 7
Accessible Expressions Open Mic at the Blue Box Theatre - September 9th
CADA/Theatre on the Spectrum Open House -- Sept 14
Fall 2019 Session: Sept 21 -- Nov 23
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Center for Applied Drama & Autism | 1501 S Hawkins Ave, Akron 44320 | 234-678-7830 | info@centerforada.org | centerforada.org
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Theatre on the Spectrum is CADA's performance wing. Our youth company rehearses on Saturdays. The adult company operates Monday through Friday from 10:30 am - 3:30 pm as a day theatre program for people on the spectrum of abilities, in collaboration with Ardmore, Inc.
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