During the 2020-2021 school year, Urban Improv partnered with Dr. Joseph Spinazzola and the Foundation Trust to innovate a new curriculum exploring loss and grief. The result has been three new filmed scenes called “After Koda,” in which a group of young people grapple with the recent sudden death of a young friend. Our collaborative,
Holly Tarnower (she/her) is a Teaching Artist with Urban Improv and Rehearsal for Life’s Resident Scholar. Her blog, Life Unscripted, offers audiences a deeper look into our organization's work, shedding light on our processes, practices and experiences with students. According to Holly, staying connected to — and being able to look more closely at — a
Friday, March 19, 2021 In theatre for social justice and creative youth development, the term "safe space" is often used. There is a desire for the arts to become a haven for our children in response to the lived experiences that surround them. The reality is that these spaces are not safe for all. As
Holly Tarnower (she/her) is a Teaching Artist with Urban Improv and Rehearsal for Life’s Resident Scholar. Her blog, Life Unscripted, offers audiences a deeper look into our organization's work, shedding light on our processes, practices and experiences with students. According to Holly, staying connected to — and being able to look more closely at — a
As Chair of Rehearsal for Life and Co-Producer of Banned in Boston, we are sharing exciting changes in our organization. This is a critical time for Rehearsal for Life, as we have built significant momentum as leaders in social-emotional learning and creative youth development — 46 years in the making. In July 2021, Kippy Dewey
Thursday, January 7, 2021 Dear Rehearsal for Life community, Yesterday, our nation should have been celebrating our democracy and the tradition of the peaceful transition of power. Instead, the events that took place exemplified the effects of divisive leadership and deeply-rooted resistance to change that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. Yet this is not
On top of serving as an Urban Improv Teaching Artist for almost a decade, Holly Tarnower has recently been hard at work as Rehearsal for Life's Resident Scholar! It brings her joy to debut her new blog, Life Unscripted, which offers audiences a deeper look into our work, shedding light on our processes, practices and experiences
Multitalented wearer of many hats (sometimes literally), Urban Improv's new Associate Director Jackson Jirard has worked, trained and served as a dancer, choreographer, actor, academic and more before joining our team late this summer. Here, Marketing Associate Emily Duggan asks him a few questions to introduce him to the Rehearsal for Life community. 1. How
Diane Ly-Leahy is a 5th-grade math and history teacher at the Richard K. Murphy K-8 School in Dorchester, MA. Here is her story of one of her students' inspired (and inspiring!) response to Urban Improv during the pandemic: During the remote learning process, I implemented the online Classroom Care Packages to help students manage strong
Joining us in July as Rehearsal for Life's new Executive & Artistic Director, Elena Velasco is an experienced theater artist and producer, performer, and choreographer, with focuses in educational theater and social justice. Read our Q&A with her, below, to learn more! RFL: What originally got you interested in working with youth arts? EV: When
