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History
In 2000, Marcella Shields, co-founder of the Hannon Shields Centre
for Leadership and Peace (HSCLP), had a dream about children performing
for peace. She had founded the Centre with her husband Eldon in 1982
to promote compassionate leadership for adults seeking to live out their
lives in more meaningful ways for themselves and their communities.
Being a Jungian, she took her dream seriously. The following year she
asked Canadian theatre artist Robert Morgan if he would be interested
in starting a theatre program for children and in 2001 the Children’s
Peace Theatre was born. In four years it had become the largest of the
Centre's program activities and one of the pre-eminent programs of its
kind in Ontario.
In July of 2004, the founders of the Centre retired and all of the Centre’s
original programs were retired as well. The Children's Peace Theatre
was the sole sustaining program operating out of the Centre and Mr.
Morgan, who had been made a co-director of the HSCLP in 2002, became
its Executive Director in December 2004. A new Board of Directors was
recruited and elected by the membership. This new Board is made up of
members of the community who wish to support the work and the mandate
of the Children’s Peace Theatre and do so enthusiastically.
Robert Morgan is a multi-award-winning playwright and director who has played a major role in helping establish Canada as one of the world's foremost creators of theatre for young audiences.
In its inaugural 2001 season, The Children's Peace Theatre invited forty-five children aged nine to eleven from three East End Toronto schools to meet twice a week for three months. With a team of four theatre professionals, the children began to explore what peace meant to them by looking at the reality of conflict in their own lives, in their community and in the world. While receiving training in basic performance skills, they began to make dramatic presentations of their explorations.
In July 2001, the first Summer Peace Camp for children was established. The three groups of children who had worked together throughout the preceding six months were brought together with a larger team comprised of six high school drama students, seven professional actors, musicians and choreographers and seven youth and adult volunteers. The participants experienced the challenges and joys of creating and performing their own material and of being a part of a theatrical company. They began teaching each other, building a strong community amongst themselves, and learning about peace. The company performed throughout the Toronto area.
Based on its first year of programming, the Children's Peace Theatre received invitations to perform in a variety of community settings.
Our September 11th Story
In September 2001, the United Nations Special Session on the Children of the World was to have been a full summit meeting with seventy-five heads of state in attendance. The Children's Peace Theatre received the honour of being invited to participate and perform at seven events at the Special Session. Clearly, we had touched a nerve at the UN. Our program and our commitment to place children centre stage had been taken seriously.
Twenty-five members of the Children's Peace Theatre were on their way to New York City. The train we were on never made it across the US border. It was the morning of September 11th. Amid the shock waves, the children immediately expressed the desire to be home with the other members of the Theatre. In the words of several children, "The Peace Theatre is the place we feel safest".
For the next two days, we gathered all 45 participants of the Children's Peace Theatre to reflect and respond to their thoughts and feelings. We attempted to make sense of what had happened by doing what we do best: by making theatre. The work we created was deeply moving. Our dramatic reflections formed the core of our presentations that fall. Though our mission of peace had been cut short, our commitment continued.
History of Performances
Since its emergence in 2001, the Children’s Peace Theatre has continued to grow and further develop. We continue to be honoured with invitations to perform both in our local community and throughout our widening global community.
2004
June 9 – Go Kids Go Youth Expo 2004 at the Air Canada Centre
June 3 – Crescent Town School & George Webster School
May 14 - Spirit Matters Conference, presented by the Ontario Institute
for Studies in Education
April 17- Remembering Rwanda, featuring Romeo Dallaire at UofT
Feb 20 – Brother Andre High School
Jan 26 – Michael Power High School Teachers Professional Development
Day
Jan-Feb – 10 performances of Morgan’s Journey throughout
Whitehorse, Dawson & Montreal
Jan 17 – Premiere performance of Morgan’s Return in Whitehorse
2003
Nov 28 – Brother Andre High School Teachers Professional Development
Day
Nov 21 – St. Robert’s High School, Maple ON
Nov 20 – International Educators Peace Conference, Hamilton ON
Oct-Nov – 3 performances at local schools
Oct 23 – Bishop Marrocco High School (Key note presentation for
Student Day of Reflection)
Sept 21 – Performance as part of Toronto’s Arts Week at
Hannon-Shields Centre for Leadership and Peace
July 19 – Gala performance of “At the Crossroads”
at the outdoor amphitheatre at the Hannon-Sheilds Centre
July 18 – Preview performances of “At the Crossroads”
at the Hannon-Shields Centre
2002
April 14 – West Hill United Church
April 15 – Mary Ward High School
May 7-12 – United Nations Special Session for Children of the
World, New York NY
May 14 – Archbishop Dennis O’Connor High School
July 8-20 – Summer Peace Camp & Gala Presentation
2001
Dec 5 – A Human Future: On Building a Companssionate Society conference
featuring Jean Vanier & Nuala Kenny, moderated by Michael Enright
& Mary Jo Leddy
Nov 15 – ‘Grazing on the Commons’; 1st event in the
IDEAS THAT MATTER SERIES featuring Joy Kogawa, Jane Jacobs and Janice
Stein
Nov 3 – Coalition for the Prevention of Violence Against Women
interactive theatrical event at the Riverdale Community Health Centre
Oct 27 – Concert for Peace at the Newman Centre in Toronto
Sept 29 – Crescent Town Fall Fair
Sept 13-15 – Performances in 3 local schools in response to the
events of Sept 11th
Sept 7 – appearance on CITY TV's Breakfast Television