Child's Play Touring Theatre

Dedicated to validating the creativity and writing of children, we adapt their stories and poems into innovative, fun and exciting performances, educational workshops and summer camps throughout the USA.

How do you help people in my community?

The theory of Child’s Play programming is that everything good belongs to everyone.  The importance of quality programming and top-notch staff cannot be underestimated and Child’s Play believes that all children should have access to the best services that society has to offer.  Our programming benefits the community by offering children of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity and platform to write about what is important to them, and how they would like to affect the world.  We at Child’s Play believe that people do have choices – and it starts with ‘you’.  This message resounds in all of our workshops and performances, and in our programming we allow the student to make choices with their writing, problem solve and create the ending that they would like to see.  CPTT will continue to build upon is mission to share, encourage and validate creativity by performing stories and poems that show children as having the ability to affect change and be confident with their choices.  As we learn to understand ourselves through theatre and the arts, through self-discipline and teamwork we can reach out, be brave and courageous and act on something we believe in.

Child’s Play can also be brought in to your community through the following ways:

• Writing and acting workshops
• Performances
• Summer Camps
• After-school programming
• Theatre Company In Residence

Regardless of what program we are conducting, we feel that what is important in any creative act is the process of self-expression.  Creative experiences can help children express and cope with their feelings.  A child’s creative activity can help teachers understand more about what the child may be thinking or feeling.  Creativity also fosters mental growth in children by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas, and new ways of thinking and problem-solving.  The creative activities that we at Child’s Play carry out during our programming help acknowledge and celebrate each individual child’s voice and uniqueness.  By offering them our platform, many parents contact our teaching artists and let them know how important our decision was in picking their son or daughter’s piece.  It singled them out as being important and special and gave their self-esteem a remarkable boost.

Here is an excerpt from a letter that we received from a previous Child’s Play camper, Michael Pomeranz, now a student at Yale University:

“…the creative lessons I learned there live on. More importantly, the understanding, more basic even than encouragement, that children like me can write was confidence-building; that we could create, empowering. Did I start writing poetry because of Child’s Play? No. I started writing poetry in Child’s Play.”

Why do you need my support?

The vision of Child’s Play is to create web centers throughout existing networks and stream videos to create an exchange of student-run programs in our new Kids in Charge project.  We are working on a model program to bring civics alive in school communities.  For example, we would work with specific high schools in an area to create a ‘grass-roots’ campaign to get the young people interested in the democratic process.  The high school students will campaign to the lower grades and they will work to persuade them to vote.  Our goal is to improve voter apathy.  Our children are the citizens and leaders of the future: we want to help them feel a part of the process. 

Our theatre has always respected the ideas, thoughts, writings actions of children and we are extending our vision of integrating not only art forms, but character building and civic responsibilities for our young people.  As to small gifts not making a difference?  One of our young authors wrote, “never underestimate the small, do not forget – it is a small grain of sand that makes the desert.”

How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?

Funds from the Combined Federal Campaign will be targeted directly towards creating and supporting our educational programming.  You can always find out about our programming in your local area by contacting our office or checking our website: www.cptt.org Despite our escalating costs, we are always highly aware of the importance of have a stringent budgeting process, and our annual audit, along with our Board of Directors help to ensure that all fundraising support goes to create programming for those who need it the most.

Child’s Play’s educational programming remains committed to supporting children, validating their creativity and letting their voices be heard.  Our pursuit of excellence in arts education can be evidenced in our long-term, multi-year partnerships with schools throughout Illinois.  We have established committed, multi-year relationships with these schools, not only within the city of Chicago, through our work with Gallery 37’s After School Matters program, but in Peru, IL at Horizon House.   Resources notwithstanding, our work in arts in education is expanding and taking on greater sophistication and challenges, because our constituents – the children at risk, the teachers and the schools we serve – require it.  So we must rise to the challenge of meeting special needs, fulfilling state curriculum requirements, addressing vital issues such as violence in our schools and neighborhoods, and reaching out to encompass student communities, no matter what obstacles we face. 

Can I Volunteer? How?

We welcome volunteers in all different kinds of capacities at Child’s Play.  For those not in the Chicagoland area, we embrace virtual volunteering in the areas of graphic design, grant writing and press writing.  We are also actively recruiting board members for our Board of Directors, and welcome enquiries from students seeking internships.