Cleveland Public Theatre Education
We Believe Art Can Change Lives
Education is a core aspect of Cleveland Public Theatre’s mission. Throughout our history we have offered unique educational programs that celebrate the artist within all of us. The mission of CPT Education is to nurture compassion and consciousness in our community through long-term, arts-centered, performance-based programs.
CPT education programs follow three, deeply-related core principles that reflect our aesthetic, pedagogical and political approach to education.
Commitment To Community
We develop close, enduring relationships with our partners and participants, demonstrating to the community that we are trustworthy and consistent. Long-term relationships facilitate open exchange among our participants, teaching artists and CPT.
Art Can Change Lives
Every program participant is considered an artist and is fully involved in our collaborative creative process. Participants contribute to the words spoken, the movement, the music, and other production elements, as together we create original works of theatre. This approach engages participants deeply and gives them ownership of the final product. Believing that art can change lives leads us to approach participants with openness to their spirits and minds, yet we are rigorous and expect a high degree of discipline and focus. We nurture and challenge our participants, while encouraging their creativity.
Celebrate Diverse Voices
CPT education programs focus on groups of people who often are excluded from art-making. We believe that the artistic community and the community as a whole will be richer if a broader group is “at the table”, utilizing theatre as a tool for personal expression and social change.
Core Programs
Brick City Theatre In partnership with Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Brick City Theatre offers after-school and summer arts programming on site for children ages 5-14 who live in public housing.
Student Theatre Enrichment Program (STEP) Arts education and job training for low income inner-city teens. Youth develop performance, academic and interpersonal skills as they create and perform an original play that is toured to Cleveland city parks.
Y-Haven Theatre Project A theatre program for residents of Y-Haven, a transitional facility for homeless men recovering from substance abuse and mental health challenges. The men learn performing arts and technical aspects of theatre as they create, perform and tour an original play based on their life experiences.
