Mission

The Awareness Theater Company is a theatrical group composed of people with and without disabilities. The mission of this theater is to create good theatrical pieces that highlight the skills and issues of the members of this company. Our company consists of a director, an assistant director, and five members who receive services from Howard Community Services in Burlington, Vermont.

Background

Our company was formed in 1998 when Vermont Protection and Advocacy (V,P and A) included us in a three year grant that addresses the high incidence of abuse that people with developmental disabilities face in our society. We were asked to create a theater group and a theater piece dealing with this issue. We spent the first year developing our company and the show, Speaking for Ourselves, the second year we performed the show with the Vermont Peer Support Network (now known as The Green Mountain Self-Advocates) as part of a training for people with developmental disbilities on respect and abuse. This past year we have been performing our show in schools, on local tv stations, at conferences, in senior centers, and for different agencies throughout the state. We have also revived an old show, The Pigs of Oz, and will create new work this coming summer.

Funding

Aside from the money from V,P and A we also have been granted money from Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA) and we receive small stipends for some of the performances we do. VSA arts of Vermont acts as our non-profit fiduciary. All of the company members are paid for meetings, rehearsals, and performances.

Future

We have some exciting projects and prospects on the horizon. But, our future funding is unsure. Our hope is that Awareness Theater Company will continue on after this year. With this in mind we will work diligently on increasing the general public’s knowledge of our existance. Check our schedule of performances and come see one of our shows!!!