Heights Youth Theatre

Like Broadway In The Heights

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Dear HYT Families:

We would like to offer an opportunity and “Space to Speak” to address what is happening in our world right now.

”Space to Speak” will take place over ZOOM on Monday, June 29, 2020. Youth in grades 5-8 will have the opportunity to participate from 6:30-7:15 PM and youth in grades 9-12 will have the opportunity to participate from 7:30-8:30 PM. The ZOOM link will be sent out the day before.

As in any interactive forum that HYT provides, we encourage participants to share questions in advance and welcome you to contribute more as they arise during the sharing opportunity. Please follow this link to a google form to register and to share any questions you may have in advance. You do not have to speak if you are not so moved. We encourage you to just be with your community if it is helpful to simply listen. Just as in rehearsals, there will be three adults that you are familiar with in silent attendance.

How will this work you ask?

At the top of each production, we do a table read with all involved to ensure that everyone is on the same page and remains committed to telling that particular story. In that spirit, we would like to do a "table read" for this interaction in the hope that you will indeed want to participate and tell your own story.

HYT recently made a public statement about our thoughts and intentions regarding the issues igniting our country at this time:

With this statement in mind, we would like to offer an opportunity to share as a community where we are at this time. As in our theater process, we are offering a "closed rehearsal space." This gives the voice, power, and risk-taking to our youth participants without the interference of non-performers. Having said this, we have contacted a qualified moderator, Emma Bergman - pronouns “they/them/their”,  to collaborate with the HYT staff to create a structure that can lead you through many of the questions that you may have at this point. 

We are looking forward to this opportunity to dialogue with you.

With much gratitude,

The HYT Board and Staff

REGISTER HERE

 

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Emma Bergman- pronouns “they/them/their”, brings their passion for positive youth development and background in dynamic clinical intervention to their work as a school social worker and facilitator. Trained in clinical social work, Emma has been providing clinical services and therapy, as well as training and facilitation with youth programs for several years. Emma's commitment to active learning and engagement balanced with supportive counseling and safe environment coalesced at the Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory and continues to grow throughout their career in the field.

Emma is particularly committed to using trauma-informed principles and practices that attend to social location and intersectional oppression in supporting equitable best practice for all youth. Emma believes that Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is deeply human and universal for adults and youth alike, and is committed to using clinical skills and knowledge to contribute to a more equitable world in which all youth have access to high-quality school day and out of school time programming. In their free time, Emma enjoys cycling, gardening, engaging in community initiatives, baking, boxing, boating, and participating in revolution.