School of Theatre > For teens > Teen Conference Fund

Berkeley Rep’s Teen Conference Fund

We need your support to allow ten emerging leaders from Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council to advocate for teen voices in the arts on a national level. In June, four Teen Council delegates are working to attend the 2012 Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Conference and, with your generous support, we were already able to send six Teen Council delegates to Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. Berkeley Rep has worked to secure funding for half of the cost of these trips. We need your help to raise the remaining money needed to give these teens the chance to make their voices heard.

support tomorrow’s leaders, today!

For the third year in a row, we’ve been invited to take young leaders to the TCG Conference, the national conference for theatre professionals. Our students will spend four days participating in activities, discussions and forums helmed by some of the country’s top theatre professionals. They’ll even have the opportunity to lead their own breakout session, this year focusing on the tenth anniversary of their popular Teen One-Acts Festival program. Leaders from national theatres are always blown away by the level of maturity and the fresh perspective that these young leaders bring to the conversation.

These experiences simply cannot happen without your support. Your generosity is critical in reaching the $12,000 needed to send these teens on an extraordinary journey. In this economic climate where every penny counts, use yours to make a difference in a young person’s life.

what has your support done so far?

For the first time ever, we took six young leaders to the 25th annual Arts Advocacy Day, sponsored by Americans for the Arts. Students learned new ways to make the best case for the arts and connected with other grassroots activists from around the nation. Best of all, they spoke to members of Congress, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the Department of State about the necessity of arts and arts education. To learn more about the trip, visit our claimyourARTS Tumblr.

why young voices matter

“The chief reason we, as teenagers, went to the TCG Conference was to let people know that we exist, that we have a voice, and that arts education is vital to keeping the theatre alive and relevant. Attending this conference certainly has raised more questions than it has answered, but it has left us all feeling much more confident about the importance of our voice in theatre as well as opening up doors for us to continue discussing the issue of arts education.”
—Christina, attended 2010 TCG Conference

“Going to DC is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the national scope of this debate, network and show that we are an important voice in this fight. We need to be heard by those members of government that can make change. We must take a stand and demand for our rights to arts education.”
—Rosie, Teen Council Arts Advocacy Chair

“Attending the conference last year was a transformative experience for our students. Due to the high level of access to national artistic leaders who valued their input, these teenagers returned home with an expanded view of the power of the arts and a new, almost infectious, commitment to engage with their communities. It is essential to continue this program and make this opportunity available to our students again this year, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Sparking this kind of excitement and dedication has the potential to shape the future of American theatre—something we strive to do here at Berkeley Rep.”
—Rachel Fink, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre Director

“Student voices are extremely important on Arts Advocacy Day. Elected officials will listen to you. I’m thrilled to know of your interest in and commitment to arts advocacy.”
—Laurie Baskin, TCG Director of Government and Education Programs

 

Questions? Call Mariko Conner at 510 647–2901 or email mconner@berkeleyrep.org.

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look how far we’ve come!

 

give the gift of leadership

To donate by mail, please make your check payable to Berkeley Repertory Theatre, with “Teen Conference Fund” in the memo line. If you would like to make a contribution in honor of a specific teen, please also include his or her name in the memo line.

Send to:
Teen Conference Fund
ATTN: Development Fellow
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
999 Harrison St
Berkeley, CA 94710

All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

 

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