Surrey-based Green Room Theatre is hoping to expand its performing arts camp with the help of $100,000 from the Aviva Community Fund.
To make it happen, those who manage the theatre group are looking for votes in an annual contest that runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 4.
Green Room wants to take its six-week summer theatre camp, for underprivileged youth aged 14-18, and turn it into an eight-month program, according to a post at greenroomtheatrecamp.com.
“We are a registered charity dedicated to the artistic and social development of high-school aged youth, particularly from lower-income communities. We empower our campers to confront life’s challenges through creative storytelling.”
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The funding from Aviva would help transition Green Room into “a permanent performance space dedicated to the needs of our new curriculum. It is one of our priorities to make camp accessible to all youth, and in doing so we would like to upgrade our transportation for youth with disabilities. Not only that, but this fund will help us with improving and expanding the individual programs within Green Room Theatre.”
The programs include camp meals, a mentorship that allows young artists see their original works performed at Vancouver Fringe Festival and a G.R.A.M.P.s initiative that connects camp participants with alumni.
Voting in Aviva’s 10th annual contest is recorded at avivacommunityfund.org.
For “Small Ideas,” prizes of $10,000 will be awarded to organizations “that bring people in their community together.” In the Big Ideas category, three prizes of $100,000 will be awarded to organizations “that bring people in their community together and also have long-lasting impact”
Contest winners will be announced on Nov. 20.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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