Theatre For Change partners with CASA on original production
Fall 2013 production highlights CASA volunteer Advocates’ work and
multimedia
San Antonio, TX – April 5, 2013 – In honor of Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, Theatre For Change (TFC) announces it will be teaming up with Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) this year to produce an original production that centers on Texas’ foster-to-adopt issue. This live dramatic media event will use a hybrid of film and live theatre to raise awareness and promote a call to action to bolster CASA’s volunteer program and will be the first official originally produced event by TFC.
According to the Child Protective Services (CPS) 2012 Data
Book, there were 275,961 alleged victims of child abuse in Texas last
year. CPS confirmed 6,205 of these cases
in Bexar County, the largest number for any single county in the entire
State. Of the 212 child deaths from
abuse and neglect last year in the State of Texas, 19 occurred in Bexar County.
This placed us second only behind Harris County, which has three times the
overall population. Unfortunately, CASA
volunteers are only able to serve one-third of the children currently in
State-protective custody in Bexar County; however, the agency is working
diligently towards providing an Advocate for every child who needs one by the
year 2020.
Spearheaded by TFC founder and Texas Lutheran UniversityDramatic Media Assistant Professor, Shannon Ivey; TFC
Community Organizer, Shelly Chance; Recruitment and Training Manager, Elisabeth
Reise; and TLU student filmmakers, the group will gather testimonies from CASA
volunteer Advocates, judges and families to create a script for the docu-drama
currently titled “The CASA Project”.
The CASA Project will run over the course of an entire
weekend with three performances at San Antonio’s historic Carver CommunityCultural Center. The Carver lobby will feature art from CASA children who are
currently in care, giving them an opportunity to share their art created in
classes hosted by professional TFC artists prior to the event.
The mission of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is to
recruit, train, and supervise court-appointed volunteer Advocates who provide
constancy for abused and neglected children and youth while advocating for services
and placement in safe and permanent homes. This production will shed light on
the foster-to-adopt situation in Texas and help recruit volunteer Advocates for
CASA.
Details concerning performance dates and times will be
announced at a later date.
About Theatre for
Change
Theatre For Change is a coalition of South Texas dramatic
media artists who are committed to linking the stories inherent within theatre,
film, and new media to the needs and messages of non-profit organizations. We aim to weld the weakest links in our
community by producing, reviewing, and creating works of theatre, film, and new
media that encourage awareness, compassion, and a call to action.
About Child Advocates
San Antonio (CASA)
Child Advocates San Antonio is one of 1,055 programs in 50
states affiliated with the National CASA Association. Nationally, Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) was launched in 1977 by a Seattle Superior
Court judge who utilized community volunteers to speak for the best interests
of abused and neglected children in court. Locally, recognizing a critical need
for Advocate services to aid abused and neglected children in San Antonio, the
National Council of Jewish Women founded CASA in 1984 to serve children in
Bexar County. For over 29 years, CASA has successfully provided abused
and neglected children in Bexar County a unique service that no other agency
does. Through our community volunteers, we provide critical advocacy to these
vulnerable, at-risk youth, ensuring that their needs and best interests are
addressed.
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