AATE 2025 National Conference

The Teaching Artists at the Cleveland Play House (CPH) use the principles of trauma-informed care and culturally relevant teaching as the cornerstone of their four-pillar theatre education model. This approach deepens artistic understanding and social and emotional competencies in safe and constructive environments. They have found that by creating community-friendly theatrical events and programs that gently start dialogues between children and their family members, you can open multi-generational conversations and begin to shift the burden of change from individual solutions to community solutions. Using examples from CPH Family Theatre Productions and the CARE Theatre Education Program, you will walk through the steps of creating an engaging and impactful curriculum for your performances and programs that can be shared with schools, families, and community members as a catalyst for community development and social change.