PRESS RELEASE

April  2003

Bridges is a play about social responsibility.

The play opens in the contemporary world of relatively affluent Vancouver high school students who complain about how boring school is and how oppressed they feel by their circumstances. As the plot unfolds, the students gain an awareness of the less fortunate circumstances of others, particularly the more than 450,000 HIV/AIDS orphans in Malawi, Africa. Concurrently, the students gain new insight into issues of poverty, racism, homophobia and more.

Written and performed by Grade 9 students at Point Grey Secondary collaboratively with Grade 5/6 students at Quilchena Elementary in Vancouver, the play is the brainchild of director, Jodi Derkson, Point Grey Drama teacher, and her colleague, Eileen Edwards of Quilchena Elementary. Both teachers are currently enrolled as students in the Masters of Education program at the University of British Columbia and are doing the play as part of a class entitled, The Arts, Education, and Social Justice.

Opening April 2, 2003 at 1:15 p.m. for students of various schools and at 7:30 p.m. April 3, 2003 at the Point Grey Secondary auditorium, the play is intended to raise funds to help educate orphans in Malawi. Proceeds will be sent to CPAR: an organization reputed for dispersing donations to Africa with responsibility and respect for the wishes of the donators. Tickets will be available at the door for $20 each or can be bought in advance…Charitable donations are also invited and will be acknowledged in the program.

Students working with the production are excited and enthused. Journal comments from Grade 6 students include, "I had a great time! I like play building," and "I learned a lot of different things. I learned what oppression is," and extend to, "When I rehearsed, I did it seriously and didn't laugh, so I will give myself 9/10."

Given the multiple ethnicities of the students involved, issues that are rarely talked about are brought forward and discussed…What the students learn is that words can promote oppression and that oppression can lead to all sorts of dire consequences. In turn, they learn strategies for dealing with oppression.

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