BridgeUP: Theater in the Schools has a mission of increasing theater access and learning resources for 4th to 6th-grade students. The program selects and works with several local elementary and middle schools in Vermont and New Hampshire to offer a five-week residency program for teaching artists that supports the curriculum of the classroom by incorporating theater exercises and Shakespeare plays.

THE PROBLEM

Young people in underserved schools are not exposed to theater in ways that allow them to explore it as a potential interest, hobby, or career path. Bringing artists into the classroom creates an effective and low cost introduction to professional productions, as well as supports the curricular needs of these students.