Play development programs

The Young Playwrights Festival is an annual event that cultivates and celebrates the talent of high school students. In an effort to give voice to the more diverse stories of our region, Barter is committed to presenting work by Black Appalachian playwrights at each annual Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights. We intend this to be a first step in ensuring that ALL Appalachians will be represented on our stages.

Selected student playwrights will have the opportunity to develop their play with professional Barter artists as well as attend workshops and meet professional playwrights. Beatriz Pizano Ontario. Amiel Gladstone British Columbia. Tracey Power British Columbia. Meg Braem Alberta.

Janet Munsil British Columbia. Catherine Banks Nova Scotia. Linda Gaboriau Quebec. Donna-Michelle St. Bernard Ontario. Joan MacLeod British Columbia. Anusree Roy Ontario. Stephen Massicotte Alberta. Robert Chafe Newfoundland. They are learning about and discovering how their body moves. Solitary Play Birth-2 Years This is the stage when a child plays alone. They are not interested in playing with others quite yet.

Associate Play Years When a child starts to interact with others during play, but there is not a large amount of interaction at this stage. A child might be doing an activity related to the kids around him, but might not actually be interacting with another child.

For example, kids might all be playing on the same piece of playground equipment but all doing different things like climbing, swinging, etc.

When a child plays together with others and has interest in both the activity and other children involved in playing they are participating in cooperative play. Play starts when we are babies, but it does not stop there!