Vital Theatre wants to improve Vital Voices, a program in which teaching artists and classroom teachers co-teach design workshops (which are integrated into core subjects). After school, students in good academic standing can learn technical theater elements such as set-building, lighting, and sound; they can also apply for a year-long internship at the company theater on weekends. Vital has noted that the curricula used for in-school, after-school, and internship components are not connected and do not reinforce each other or build learning year to year. Vital wants to hire a technical theater consultant and three professional designers to develop a four-year technical theater curriculum for grades 9–12 that would encompass its in-school, after-school, and internship programs. The consultant will provide technical training to teaching artists and school teachers and will train them and Vital staff to implement the new curriculum.
Vital Theatre Company produces original family musicals in its 108-seat theater and also provides arts-integrated education to three partner schools (800 students) in Brooklyn and the Bronx through Vital High School Voices.
