Children's Peace Theatre

In 2020 Children's Peace Theatre Celebrates 20 years of Creating a Culture of Peace

Supernovas and Galaxies: Igniting our Constellations of Resistance and Care

This year in the midst of a pandemic and a global uprising for justice, Peace Camp has been exploring the question, What does it mean to Ignite Constellations of Resistance and Care? This show is inspired by Black and Indigenous knowledge systems, and the radical love and care for community that springs from their wisdom teachings.

We are living in a time of great suffering. Yet this moment is charged with the potential for transformation. What knowledge, wisdom and actions will guide us to create a world that is more equitable, more loving, and more livable? How as artists can we guide the next generation to tell their stories?

For the past three weeks, under the guidance of our incredible team: Theatre Director Sedina Fiati, Music Director Ruben ‘Beny’ Esguerra,Visual Arts Director Kaya Joan, and our new Dance Director Shameka Blake, 30 children and youth have been exploring how we can ignite our constellations of care and resistance.

Guest Artists Mahlikah Aweri and Silvia Plain shared teachings on Indigenous ancestral knowledge, and ways of knowing that point to how constellations are flight paths out of darkness, fear, and colonialism; and into collective constellations of care, resistance and community.

The past three weeks have been filled with beautiful moments that honour, and engage with these concepts, and called us to reflect on our relationships with ourselves, our communities and our responsibilities to each other, the land, and the
Constellations around us.

Please join us to see a small glimpse of the children’s creations along with a short documentary of the process made by film maker Taymah Armatrading. Taymah has been editing hours of zoom recordings and capturing the gorgeous moments of transformation, and the inner world of children during the pandemic.

Matinée Performances: Friday, August 7th, 2020 at 1:00-2:30 p.m. |
Gala Performance: Saturday August 8th, 2020 at 4:00-5:30 p.m. |

Tickets can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/114664223780

Hi there friends of CPT,

We know moving activities on line is not that same as meeting and building relationships face to face, but we wanted to keep people connecting as best we could. After much consideration about what we can do right now to serve our community we thought three things mattered.

Flow funds to youth and artists by hiring them to share art, wisdom and love on line.
Share wisdom about gardening because food security will be even more of an issue after this is over.
Keep people connected and inspired. It is only through creative community connections we can create a better world.

Courage, Compassion and Creativity never mattered more

What we do

Children’s Peace Theatre uses the arts and artistic creativity as critical tools for personal and social transformation. Our mandate is to co-create a culture of peace using an arts based, intergenerational and holistic approach that cultivates ecological, social and spiritual resilience with the individual and the community. We centre the voices of BIPoC communities to co-create imaginative solutions for equitable and fair futures for all.

We are a catalyst for ideas, discussions and actions that make the arts more central and meaningful to people’s lives, in order to promote healthier young people, more vibrant democracies and equitable societies. It is our commitment to provide a space where young people can create and learn from artists and Elders.

Our flagship program Peace Camp provides opportunities for children and youth to work with professional artists to create public presentations that speak to the issues impacting their lives, while learning skills in Conflict Transformation.

Soil, Spirit, Society is an intersectional, multi-disciplinary project that puts our decolonial arts praxis into action. It includes an Artist Residency for Black and Indigenous youth, a community garden, and the development of a Village Matrix that explores innovative forms of governance.

The Youth Arts Space provides mentorship, and space for young culture makers to develop their own art for social change projects. Young people have access to a lounge, music studio, commercial kitchen and support from a dynamic team of artists, Elders and peers to help them achieve their goals, while learning participatory leadership and entrepreneurship skills.

The Peace Platform also known as an Emerging Governance Platform, provides mentorship and administrative support to youth led projects. Check out some of the projects on the Platform below.

Conflict Transformation Workshops are arts based workshops for Schools, Community groups and the Workplace to create more equitable and inclusive spaces.

Read our Artistic Manifesto here