Wrapping up the Active Play Project

by Sarah Rinner, Elementary School Program Director

TAP TA Kate Shaw guiding Creedmoor students

This year Theatre Action Project (TAP) embraced a new project in partnership with the University of Texas School of Public Health and funding support from St. David’s Foundation.  Our afterschool programs have always been active and artsy, but this project was a new intentional way for us to bring those two engaging elements together in the Bastrop and Del Valle communities.

The Active Play Project is a program that promotes student health by painting markings around the school playgrounds and sidewalks that facilitate physical activity and connect to academic learning.  TAP’s team of amazing Project Leaders led their afterschool youth in generating the marking designs, convening an action team of school personnel to support the project, and coordinating community painting days in April and May.  The 10-campus project was hugely successful, and students are already proudly sharing their paintings and how to interact with them with their peers and families.  We look forward to seeing the benefits of this engaging project for years to come.

The Active Play KXAN news article can be found here.

P.S. My favorite camp memory was playing Queen Bidgood in a dramatization of “King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub” during an art and drama camp at the school where my dad taught. My dad had gotten a real bathtub for us to use in acting out the play–hauled it into the art room and everything

Spotlight on Teaching Artist Amy Carpenter and Mylinh Chau

by Tanisa Bernard, Social Networking Marketing Assistant Volunteer, Junior League of Austin

Holiday cheer was in the air on December 6 as I met with two of Theatre Action Project’s esteemed Teaching Artists in residence. Amy Carpenter is an artist who sees art in “everything.” She is a visual artist who also is involved in music and improv. Currently,  she works with TAP students at Maplewood Elementary two days a week and works with students in Bastrop one day a week. Maplewood third, fourth and fifth graders have written a play for TAP which they will perform on December 16, 2011 at 4 p.m. about vampire bunny dragons and a replicator machine! “It’s dark, but very funny. I am always amazed at the kids’ creativity.”

In Bastrop, Carpenter leads the children in general theater work and self portraits. In the spring, the children will be deeply involved in the Playground Project. The Playground Project involves 10 different schools whose children will paint designs on area playgrounds to encourage physical activity among youth in partnership with the University of Texas. Carpenter’s Wishes for TAP: “That we keep doing exactly what we’ve been doing, These kids are awesome.”

Mylinh Chau is enjoying her TAP experience as well. This is her first year as a TAP artist. Her specialty involves painting, drawing, and ceramics. Chau spends four days a week at Barrington Elementary where she mentors first and fourth graders. The first graders just completed a “wish cake.” Chau says, “They made kites and attached their various wishes to them. We videotaped their pure joy as they flew the kites.”

Chau led the fourth-graders in completing life-size self portraits of what they want to be when they grow up. The children had to accessorize them with various personal items and other things from their homes.

Chau’s wishes for TAP: “I hope to be a great example for these kids. I hope we can continue to improve the program and help someone in the process.”