Academy of Music and Play Incubation Collective launch theater program for queer youth
Registration opened July 6 for the seven-week workshop, which costs $30 and runs Saturdays through mid-November.
The Academy of Music and Play Incubation Collective are launching the Brave Space Youth Theater Project, a seven-week workshop designed for queer-identified youth ages 13 to 18. Registration opened July 6 for the program, which runs Saturdays from October 3 to November 14, with a closing performance on November 16 at the Academy of Music.
The collaboration offers local queer youth an opportunity to create devised theater work under the guidance of Play Incubation Collective co-founder Sarah Marcus. Academy Education Director Kyle Lawrence initiated the partnership to expand the Academy's youth offerings. Both organizations aim to develop programming that amplifies diverse voices and creates space for young people to lead their own creative work.
Participation costs only $30 thanks to support from the Scarlet Sock Foundation. The Academy offers two half-tuition scholarships per session for families needing financial assistance, available through the Financial Aid page on its website.
The program structure begins with brainstorming games and scenarios, then moves into genre and theme development as participants create original material. The final weeks focus on refining the production for performance. Lawrence said he wanted to create space specifically for queer youth voices, noting that "it can still be a very scary time, especially for the youth and especially for queer youth." He emphasized the program uses "brave space" rather than "safe space," encouraging participants to step beyond comfort zones.
Marcus highlighted the power of giving young people creative control. "Your voice matters and you get to be in charge here," she said. "You're the writer, the director, and people are going to listen. That's a rare experience I think that kids don't usually get." She described the shift in dynamics as empowering, with adults guiding rather than directing.
Lawrence added that autonomy remains central to the program's design. "Letting it be what they want it to be, what's important to them? What do they want to talk about? What do they want to bring forward, to celebrate, to cry out about?" Space is limited. For registration and more information, visit aomtheatre.com/brave-space-project/.