Teaching Staff In-Service Workshops – September 2010
In September, 2010, Jessi Linn will be working with 20 teachers from the Waterloo District School Board, helping them to get into the groove of drama teaching. Two full-day workshops are planned with elementary school teachers who are eager to learn ways to integrate drama lessons into their class routines. This workshop is made possible through an application Carla Waites, teacher, made to her teaching union.
PAONE Excitement
As a board member for PAONE (the Professional Arts Organizations Network for Education) Jessi Linn is gearing up for some exciting conferences for arts-educators. Check the blog for more info.
Improv Team Trainings – Fall & Winter 2010-11
Once again Jessi Linn will be putting her improv expertise into action working with teams training for the Canadian Improv Games high school improv tournament. Among the schools she’ll be working with are: Trinity College School (Port Hope, ON).
Summer Camp Staff Trainings – June/July 2010:
Jessi Linn will be leading summer camp staff training workshops at Kettleby Valley Camp (Newmarket), Pleasant Bay Camp (Prince Edward County), Theatre Direct Summer Camp (Toronto) and for CAIRN camps (Baysville). We cover games leadership, leadership skills, and theatre at camp.
Summer Teaching- July 2010:
Jessi Linn will be once again be working with the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People’s summer program at their front street location. This year she’ll be working with 9 and 10 year old students. We’re going to create a performance piece about dreams.
Create an Opera Program – March to May 2010:
From late March through mid-May, Jessi Linn will be working with St. Mark’s school in Mississauga to create three original operatic works for performance. This is part of the Canadian Opera Company’s 10-week Create an Opera program. Jessi Linn will be working with composer Dean Burry, a designer, and a vocal coach as well as three classes of intermediate students.
Spring Session at Bad Dog Theatre – Jan to June 2010:
After record-setting highs with registration numbers for Jan-March session, Youth Programming at the Bad Dog Theatre continues from April-June. Jessi Linn teaches the 11-13 year-olds the foundations of improvisation in these weekly classes. Register here.
4-Week In-School Residency:
Jessi Linn is very excited about her partnership with King Edward Jr. and Sr. PS in Toronto. Spring 2010 will find Jessi Linn working intensively with every class in their school – providing 5 hours of drama/improv workshops. We’ll be focusing on staying in role, creating characterizations, and long-form improvisations in character while exploring a ‘hidden’ curriculum of teamwork, leadership, active listening, and building inclusive classrooms.
The Princess and the Hand Maiden, LKTYP Arts Impact Workshops:
At Greenholme PS, and Lucy Maud Montgomery PS in Jamestown and Malvern, respectively, Jessi Linn worked with a total of 6 classes in their schools. Exploring themes of fairy-tales, basic staging, friendship, societal roles, and unexpected endings we had a great time talking about and playing with songs from LKTYP’s fun musical.
Pre-Performance Workshops – Nov, Dec 2009:
The theatre season has begun again, and with that come some exciting productions! Jessi Linn will be leading pre-performance workshops for the Canadian Opera Company’s upcoming School Tour of Cinderella and The Barber of Seville as well as pre- and post-performance workshops for LKTYP’s The Princess and the Handmaiden.
JumpStart – Sept to Nov 2009:
Starting out the school year, teachers and students want to get to know each other and their peers and know that their class environment is a safe one where they can take risks and be encouraged by others. That’s where the JumpStart program comes in. This year’s JumpStart school was Forest Glen P.S. in New Hamburg, ON.
Camp Workshops Summer 2009
This summer marks Jessi Linn’s first foray into summer camp staff training. She is also available to lead specialty drama workshops at camps – check out thestaff training page or contactus for more info.
June 24th – Pearce Williams Christian Centre Summer Camp Staff Training: workshop on creative communication with campers, games, skit, and song leadership skills.
June 25th – Staff training workshop at Kettleby Valley Camp for 90 staff members: teamwork and communication.
July 7 and August 4 – Anti-Bullying workshops at Camp Eden, Thornhill, ON: interactive workshops for Campers.
Summer Camp at LKTYP, 2009
Jessi Linn will be instructing as part of the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People’s summer drama school this summer.
Workshops for LKTYP, May, June 2009
Between May 22 and June 18 I worked with two schools (St. Margaret Mary Catholic School in Vaughan, and St. Jerome’s Catholic Elementary at Keele and Sheppard), 13 classes in total. At St. Jerome we did improv workshops with all their students in grades 4 through 8; at St. Margaret Mary the grade 7s did improv and the grade 8s did acting. Professional highlights include the purchase and first-time use of my new boom box!
Walking the Tightrope, May 2009
During the month of April I’ll be working with Theatre Direct in a new role – that of Stage Manager / Education Lead. Following a UK-style model, I’ll be adding facilitation and educational programming into the role of stage management. The show runs for school groups and the public in April. Go to Theatre Direct’s website for tickets, more info, or to see the beautiful study guides.
Fern Ave Public School, June 2009
I’ll be visiting Fern Ave PS here in Toronto, working with their grade 7/8 students for a series of 4 days of improv workshops. Looking forward to it!
March Break at the COC – Rusalka Workshop
Along with musician, Anita Beaty, I created a 1-day workshop for the Canadian Opera Company surrounding Dvork’s Rusalka. With a group of 30 kids we learned songs, characters, and basic physicalization to create a 10-minute opera performance. Such fun!
Another Extravaganza at the Bad Dog!
That’s right – we’re hosting another all-day open house at the Bad Dog Theatre (138 Danforth Ave) on Saturday, March 7th. You should come!
If you make it out (and we’re so close to the subway that there’s really no excuse) you’ll see performances by our all-star cast of up and coming young improvisers aged 7 to 17. Want to try some improv on your own? Get involved in a workshop. www.baddogtheatre.com
Workshop for Grade 1s!
On February 18, I’ll be at Banting and Best Public School in Toronto leading a drama workshop for some very eager grade ones. Looking forward to working with a new school and a new age group – this is the youngest I’ve worked with yet!
Two Study Guides on the Go!
Working for Theatre Direct and with the Ark Collective, I’m in the midst of creating study guides for upcoming TYA productions Mourning Dove by Emil Sher and Walking the Tightrope by Mike Kenny. I’ve just finished the updates for the Binti’s Journey study guide which you can find at www.theatredirect.on.ca.
Walking the Tightrope
I’ll be a stage manager again! In a unique Educator-SM role, I’ll be working with Theatre Direct’s production of Walking the Tightrope which will be the first new production in The Loop Centre Theatre in the Artscape Wychwood Barns. Exciting!
OAC Residencies
Thanks to sponsorship from the Ontario Arts Council I’ll be spending 25 hours (a full week!) in each of the following schools this 2008-09 school year:
October: Bruce Jr PS (Toronto)
November: Winston Churchill PS (Kingston);
November: Forest Glen PS (New Hamburgh);
January: Jarvis CI (Toronto);
February: St. John’s Catholic Elementary (London);
March: King Edward Sr. Public School (Toronto);
CIG: Kingston Winter Workshops. Dec 6
I’ll be heading back to my old stomping grounds amongst players and facilitators in the Kingston Region of the Canadian Improv Games. I’ll be leading a workshop for coaches (team dynamics) and for team members (feeding and endowing). Really looking forward to seeing old friends at this, the workshop series that I helped create seven years ago!
Kingston Trip: Winston Churchill PS and CIG Training
I’ll be in Kingston next week (November 10 to 14) working with the grade 6, 7, and 8 students at Winston by day. After school, I’ll be visiting high schools to help out with the region’s teams competing in the Canadian Improv Games. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with CIG:K. Thanks to Alex and Kate for getting the ball rolling! So far I’ll be at: KCVI (Monday), and LCVI (Friday).
Bad Dog Theatre Youth Extravaganza – November 22, 2008
You’re all invited! Come to see the showcase of up-and-coming talent from our Youth Programs at the Bad Dog or try improvising yourself with some free all-ages workshops. Showcase performances by young performers aged 8 to 17 throughout the day. Bad Dog Theatre 138 Danforth Ave, 12 noon through 5:30 p.m.
Forest Glen PS in New Hamburg, ON
For this OAC workshop, I’ll be working with three classes at Forest Glen, focusing on building an inclusive classroom environment through improv.
