Arm-of-the-Sea's Artist-in Residence programs are intensive, hands-on workshops in which the arts are at the center of the learning experience. The programs seek to provide participants with an experience of collaborative creativity. Each residency is organized around a particular theme drawn from literature, science, art, social studies or a combination of these. Under the direction of the Theater's co-founder, Patrick Wadden, participants engage in painting, sculpture, mask-making, puppetry, creative writing and music to create the elements of a theater production. The “artifacts” produced in the residency are woven together in rehearsals, sometimes with additional puppet & mask characters from Arm-of-the-Sea’s repertoire. The culminating performance event is customarily presented to the entire school or community.
Residency programs are generally 5 to 10 days in length and can involve anywhere from 15 to 100 participants. Requirements include a designated workspace where projects and materials can remain set-up. Pre-planning is essential. Flexibility in regards to time schedule is also an asset. In a school setting, our residency programs are effective not only with high achievers but often & most notably with students lagging in academic and language skills. We have conducted very successful residencies with young people at inner city schools, immigrant families, adjudicated youth and hearing-impaired youth.
