When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a brilliant actress and having a career in theater. I read every book I could get my hands on about the entertainment industry. I went to every audition listed in newspapers and magazines in Rhode Island. I spent summers working on public access programs for teens with Leanne Varner at Cox Cable. I had a place where I belonged and could explore this dream. People like Leanne encouraged my creativity and provided me and others a place to be heard, appreciated, and respected. These opportunities led to my current role today, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Traveling Theatre in Providence, RI.”
– Elizabeth Cunha
HISTORY
Since our inception in 2003, we have provided programming to more than 4,000 youth in over 14 schools, spanning six cities and towns throughout Rhode Island, as well as trained dozens of young adults to become teaching artists. The majority of the youth that we encounter during our programming come from underserved populations. Our programs offer youth an outlet for self expression and opportunities to create work about their experiences in this world: a world seen through their eyes, felt in their hearts, and spoken from their lips.
MISSION
Our mission is to create a community of highly qualified teaching artists who travel throughout the state, providing artistic experiences for youth that strengthen creativity, literacy, problem solving, cooperative learning, self confidence, and the life skills to face everyday challenges.
VISION
Our vision at Traveling Theatre is to see youth actively engaging in creative learning.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Traveling Theatre, we believe enrichment education should be available to every student in every school. Ultimately, we believe enrichment should be an integral part of every child's education, whether it be held before school, integrated within the regular curriculum, or during after school hours.
Enrichment education allows a child to:
- Learn through his or her interest areas
- Receive an appropriately challenging curriculum
- Experience integrated learning rooted in personal learning needs and learning styles
- Work independently for continuous exploration and study
At Traveling Theatre, youth are allowed such opportunities through our integrated arts curriculum. Our programs address the social emotional needs of the youth, support the development of literacy across all cultures and backgrounds, and engage the importance of family and personal history as the youth learns his or her place in this world and his or her effect on the future of this world.
Through the various lenses of the arts, youth at Traveling Theatre gain life skills, build confidence as they perform in front of others, learn to adjust their communication to different types of audiences, and gain an understanding that they share a common human experience with their peers as well as with the community that surrounds.
As Teaching Artists at Traveling Theatre, we strive every day to transfer the creative process and experience at a pace that is appropriate to each individual youth. We offer guidance and support in their choices, experiences and discoveries in order to foster a sense of lifelong learning in this ever-changing society.
We've formulated the above philosophy by threading the work of many researchers, our personal experiences, and the needs of the community to which we serve.
