Thank you for your outstanding interest in our program.
Discussions are underway as to whether this program will be returning in the Summer of 2021 or 2022. Expect an update on this by February 28th. Thank you for your patience.
Mind the Gap is an exciting new workshop brought to you by ArtsWest and the New York Theatre Workshop with the goal of using playwriting to initiate meaningful intergenerational dialogue, bringing together Teens (14–19) and Elders (60+). 
Through group discussions, writing exercises, theatre activities, and one-on-one interviews between intergenerational pairs, participants will breathe life into the stories of their peers, concluding with a dramatic Final Sharing session in which each participant will write and share a 10 minute play inspired by their final project partner.
We are thrilled to bring Mind the Gap to you free of cost – no tuition will be charged due to the generous support of our donors.
Take a read on the NYTW website here.
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2020 dates: August 3rd – 31st on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6pm with a special performance on August 29th from 1-5pm. Sessions will be held online.
Deadline to apply: June 7th, 2020
Following the application deadline, a selection process involving an information evening and an interview will be conducted.  The final group of 14 participants will be notified by June 30.
Watch Mind The Gap featured on The Today Show!
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The goals of the program are both to teach writing and theatre skills and foster better communication and understanding between these two age groups. No playwriting or theatre experience is necessary to participate in Mind the Gap.
Through the workshop, participants are able to:

  • INVESTIGATE, LISTEN and EMPATHIZE with someone of another generation, while using playwriting as a tool to understand and represent their unique experience
  • BROADEN THEIR PERSPECTIVE, see the other generation in a new light, and take on the task of telling someone else’s story with respect and understanding
  • SHARE THEIR STORIES and ultimately see them interpreted through another’s eyes making meaning out of their personal narratives and gaining insights into their own lives


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Location:
Sessions will be held remotely online.
Attendance
The nature of this workshop is solely dependent on the participation of partners – if one person is missing, it throws off the group dynamic. All participants are expected to attend all online sessions, and to honor the journey the group has embarked on together. It is critical for every participant to commit to attending every session, and to see the workshop through to the end.
Contact
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any and all questions about the program.
Laura Lee, Managing Director: laural@artswest.org (Please allow 72 hours for replies.)