Save The Date

by Chelsea Gilman, Business Manager

It’s time to save the date for Creative Action’s 2nd annual Big Hair Country Fair, where everything is BIG, not just the hair!  This not-to-be-missed event will take place on Saturday night, March 23, 2013.

Nestled under the old oak trees at the Salt Lick pavilion, attendees will enjoy all you can eat BBQ and a flowing open bar, play wild carnival games, get their hair done by some of Austin’s best coiffeurs, and snap photos in a vintage western photo booth.  They will also be entertained all night long by the musical styles of two great bands.

This is a key fundraising event for Creative Action and we could not have been so successful in previous years without the wonderful support from our community: attending the event, sponsoring the event, and donating fabulous prizes for our auction.  If you are interested in any of these great opportunities, please contact me at chelsea@creativeaction.org

Fall: The Season of Change

by Erik Weasenforth, Marketing Associate VISTA

My year of service as Marketing Associate VISTA has been an exciting one. I’ve learned a lot and have been involved with some of the biggest changes at Creative Action. The biggest change recently has been the transition from Theatre Action Project to Creative Action. Although we have changed our name, we are still fighting for the same cause (read about the name change here).

As we transition into fall, we are featuring our first event under our new name, Creative Action. This October we are proud to present the family fun and pie contest, I Spy Pie! at Central Market North. It’s going to be fun for all with arts and crafts, live music from The Biscuit Brothers, and pie tastings from the following competing bakeries:

• Central Market Bakery
• Central Market Cooking School
• Jeffrey’s
• Texas Pie Kitchen
• Tiny Pies

Hope to see you there!

P.S. My favorite pie flavor is razzle dazzle berry pie.

Join us at I Spy Pie! on Saturday, October 20th at Central Market North. 12 – 3 p.m.
Family fun, arts and crafts and pie for families of all ages!

Want to volunteer? Sign up here for 1 or 2 (or both) shifts:  I Spy Pie! Volunteer Sign Up.

Connect with Your Inner pie: Volunteer at I Spy Pie!

by Mary Alice Carnes, Community Relations Director

Creative Action (formerly Theatre Action Project) needs your pie-ness. This is creativeness with all things pie for our fall fundraiser, I Spy Pie! Saturday, October 20th at Central Market North. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and have fun and help us select the best pie in Austin, we’d love to have you sign up to volunteer. The event features fun family activities, arts and crafts for all ages, pie tastings, and bragging rights for the best pie in Austin. Sign up for 1 or 2 shifts. It’s easy as pie!

Celebrity Judges:  Jim Swift (KXAN-TV), actress Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (Fletch and Friday Night Lights), Nina Seely (Trento), and John Bullington, Executive Chef (Alamo Drafthouse). Live Music: Austin’s own Emmy Award-winning The Biscuit Brothers and Jungle Jill and the Jaybirds

Volunteer Shift Number 1: 9:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. (with break for lunch on your own)

• Set Up and Prep: Set up tables, decorate, learn a craft you might be doing once the event starts at noon, and prepare to train and hand off your shift to another volunteer in the 2nd shift.
• Manage Arts and Crafts Table: Face painting, making pie puppets, decorating
  kid size aprons with glue, paint and glitter, making paper bag hats.
• Executing the Parachute Game: Toss a large parachute top for children to run underneath.
• Working the Pie Walk: Musical chair game for yummy pie!
• Donations: Assist with taking donations, pass out donations buckets, sell raffle tickets.

Volunteer Shift Number 2: 12:45- 3:45 p.m.

• Manage Arts and Crafts Table: Face painting, making pie puppets, decorating kid size aprons with glue, paint and glitter, making paper bag hats.
• Executing the Parachute Game: Toss a large parachute top for children to run underneath.
• Handing out pie samples: Arrange pie for judging and attendee pie tasting, help present awards.
• Donations: Assist with taking donations, pass out donations buckets, sell raffle tickets.
• Breakdown: Breakdown and clean up.

TO REGISTER FOR A VOLUNTEER SHIFT, APPLY HERE: I Spy Pie! Volunteer Application

Questions? Email: maryalice@theatreactionproject.org.

PS: My favorite pie is lemon meringue. I have a very distinct memory of being kid crying about something on my back porch and the next door neighbor lady had just made a fresh lemon meringue pie. No more tears after that!

 

UPDATE: Theatre Action Project is now Creative Action. Read more about our name change.

Vlog: Art that Inspires

by Will Heath, Teaching Artist at Manor Middle SchoolandMendez Middle School

William Heath is one of our newest additions to the Creative Action team. He’s a jack of many trades having grown up in the jungles of Miami, but most notably a curator, dj, and soon to be gallerist. William loves to draw, dance, and cook. He would love to know what you think about his video blog so comment below!

UPDATE: Theatre Action Project is now Creative Action.

Read more about our name change.

New Stages Takes Flight

by Patrick Torres, Middle School and High School Program Director

The New Stages Youth Theatre Ensemble met for the first time last night, and it was great. The participants were funny, insightful and honest as they offered stories from their lives and spoke about what they hoped audiences would learn from the original piece they will create this year:

• Do not judge people by how they look.
• People who have been through the system can be successful.
• Everyone has their faults.
• We are people who have made bad decisions but are working to be better.
• Don’t get it twisted. You don’t know what you think you know.

If last night is an indication of what is to come over the next year, then we are all in for an excellent ride as we support these youth in the creative process. At different times in our two hours together, I felt challenged and inspired and so happy. And this morning I thought about how the new name of our organization, Creative Action, really does capture the essence of all of our programs, especially the New Stages Youth Theatre Ensemble:

These youth will not only develop their creativity, but use it to push themselves forward, to change their community, and to challenge the way audiences see them. Their potential is limitless, and I promise to keep you informed on our progress!

The New Stages Youth Theatre Ensemble is for students between the ages of 14 and 20 who have been released from the juvenile detention system. The Ensemble will together to create original plays about their experiences and will tour their shows and perform for more than 2,000 Austin area youth at schools and churches annually. A social worker will be a part of the program which will meet twice weekly at a halfway house. Youth members of the New Stages Youth Ensemble will receive compensation for their creative work with the program.

UPDATE: Theatre Action Project is now Creative Action. Read more about our name change.