zoom meeting

MANITOBA MICRO-MUSICAL PROJECT

The Manitoba Micro-Musical Project For Students

Your Story… Your Creation… Your Musical!

The Manitoba Micro-Musical Project For Students is a new initiative for teachers and students across Manitoba to safely create their own micro-musical with resources and support from Rainbow Stage and professional local artists.

WHAT IS A MICRO-MUSICAL?
During a time when middle schools and high schools are unable to do their annual musical, the Micro-Musical is an opportunity to express yourselves in a new and safe way!

HOW WE CAN HELP!
The Micro-Musical Project offers professional guidance for teachers and students across the province to create their own collective-musical-creation! This project will support teachers with curriculum connections, zoom sessions, support videos (with local professional artists) and documents.

IGNITING CONNECTION
The Micro-Musical Project aims to remove barriers to accessing professional training and guidance for students who may not otherwise have access to arts education and programming. It offers the opportunity for Rainbow Stage to connect with new emerging talent and see new works being formed and created. It also offers the opportunity to have your work viewed by the Artistic Director, the Rainbow Stage team and members of Rainbow Stage’s School Awards Committee.

DREAM YOUR DREAM
Musical theatre has always been an evolving art form, and with this project we want teachers and students to push the boundaries of what defines a musical. This project is up to your own interpretation. We want students to create art that represents their inner expression and their ideas during this time of transformation. Students can find inspiration in just about anything…from news stories, fictitious worlds or comedic sketches, to cultural legends and stories from local communities or lives of historic figures. Our goal is for students to be the driving force behind their collective creations and for Rainbow Stage to offer guidance along the way.

We want you to show us what the future of musical theatre can be!

This Year’s Zoom Sessions

Please note: To attend these sessions, you are required to fill out our Registration Form.
By registering, you will also be emailed recordings of each Zoom session if you are unavailable to attend!

Friday, Feb 12 – Kick Off

11:45 – 12:45pm
In this session, we will introduce the Manitoba Micro-Musical Project, answer any questions that teachers and/or students may have, and talk about what inspired this new, free and exciting project. We will delve into conversations about art, why art matters and the impact that art has on our lives. We will also take time to discuss the value of creating an artistic statement (a vision for your project).

Hosted By: Carson Nattrass (Artistic Director), Jeffrey Kohut (Assistant Executive Director), Taylor Gregory (Education Coordinator)

Friday, Feb 26 – Dream Your Dream

11:45 – 12:45pm
In this session, we explore idea generating and how to get started. What is important to your students and what do they want to include in their collective micro-musical project? We will talk about the pressing question: “How do I make a musical during a pandemic?” We will delve deeper into the idea of creating an artistic statement and examine what you and your students are trying to say with your micro-musical.

Guest Artists: Joseph Aragon, Sharon Bajer, Ben Townsley

Friday, March 12 – Igniting Connection

11:45 – 12:45pm
In this session, we will talk about igniting connection through collaboration! We will explore the 4 pillars of musical theatre (acting, singing, dancing – and using video!) and unearth the many ways in which students can collaborate in each of these areas. Collaboration and communication are the keys to success when creating art. We will discuss the multitude of roles that students can take on in your project, depending on their area of interest and ensuring the right fit.

Guest Artists: Katie German and Dane Bjornson

Friday, March 26 – Songwriting

11:45 – 12:45pm
In this session, we explore songwriting with students and discuss the new provincial regulations for singing in person. We will delve into the step-by-step process of songwriting, and we will do so by creating a song on Zoom together! On your own, the thought of crafting an original song can seem intimidating, but we believe that everyone can write a song. We will explore how students can work together as a group to brainstorm ideas while discussing important songwriting elements such as form, style, genre and rhythm.

Guest Artist: Dane Bjornson

Friday, April 16 – Open Sharing Circle

11:45 – 12:45pm
Oohhh… we’re half-way there! This session will provide an opportunity for participants to share their Micro-Musical Project story, concepts, and plans with the group for feedback and inspiration. We’ll get the ball rolling by sharing our progress on some of our recent projects, and then we’ll see where the conversation takes us!

If you’ve been thinking of registering, it’s not too late! This will be a great session to tune into to get connected and get your creative juices flowing!

Friday, April 23 – TBC

11:45 – 12:45pm
We are currently leaving this session open to be adaptable to teacher and student needs as they arise. Please email us with any ideas or topics that you’d like us to cover! tgregory@rainbowstage.ca

Guest Artists: TBA

Friday, May 7 – Making The Cut

11:45 – 12:45pm
In this session, we will discuss the process of editing your micro-musical and the pivotal role of the director. We will open up a discussion about reconsidering and confirming choices in your creation and the difficulty that comes with making final decisions. We will also open up a conversation about recording and editing your micro-musical project!

Guest Artists: TBA

Friday, May 21 – Let It Fly!

11:45 – 12:45pm
In this final session, we will refine, release and reflect! This is an opportunity to talk about ways in which you and your students can refine your creation to make it even stronger. We will also examine the process of “releasing” your micro-musical and arriving at a point where you and your students can put your trust into your piece and let it fly! We will then discuss the process of reflection, and coming together to celebrate your unique creation!

Guest Artists: TBA

SHARE BY: Send us your micro-musical by: May 28, 2021

 

Registration Form

The 2021 Manitoba Micro-Musical Project for Students will take place virtually and we will be accepting registrations on an ongoing basis. We will be releasing support videos to help guide you with your micro-musicals, along with free Zoom support sessions with Rainbow Stage staff and local artists. We encourage you to send us what you’ve prepared, no matter the length of your collective creation. Whether you’ve created a 5-minute sketch, a one-act-show or an hour-long musical – we want to see your work! We invite you to share your micro-musicals with us up until May 28, 2021. We look forward to seeing what you and your students create!

General Information

    With this project, our goal is to bring students from across the province together by sharing your work with other students, teachers and schools!

    Permission

    I understand that Rainbow Stage will be recording the Zoom sessions and that by attending, I give my consent to Rainbow Stage to make them privately available to other teachers and students until June 1, 2021.

    OPTIONAL ITEMS

    I hereby give Rainbow Stage permission to share my micro-musical video submission on their website and/or social media. I understand that my video may be used during power point presentations and/or reports to Rainbow Stage funders/donors as well as for promotional purposes including flyers, brochures, newspaper and on the internet. I understand that although my students’ images may be used for advertising, their identity will not be disclosed.

    I would like to be added to Rainbow Stage’s email list to hear about other Education and Outreach opportunities.

    Please prove you are human by selecting the Key.

    PLEASE FORWARD ANY QUESTIONS TO TAYLOR GREGORY at tgregory@rainbowstage.ca

    Frequently Asked Questions

    HOW DO I EXPRESS INTEREST IN INSTRUCTING ON ZOOM FOR THIS PROJECT?
    If you would like to be considered as one of the local artists involved in this project, please send us an email (subject line: Micro-Musical Project Instructors) here:
    education@rainbowstage.ca
    HOW LONG IS A MICRO-MUSICAL?
    We encourage you to send us what you’ve prepared, no matter the length of your collective creation. Whether you’ve created a 5-minute sketch, a one-act-show or an hour-long musical – we want to see your work!
    Will there be a recording of the zoom meetings that I can watch later and/or share with my students during their class periods?
    Yes! We will record all Zoom sessions and share them with all teachers that have filled out our Registration Form, whether you were able to attend the session or not.
    Registration Form (LINK)
    Is there a fee or cost for this project?
    The Manitoba Micro-Musical Project is completely free of charge!
    What group sizes can sign up for this project? Is there a minimum/maximum group size?
    There are no minimum or maximum group sizes. Individuals, small group sizes and large group sizes are all welcome!
    Is there a way to send in questions from students (or teachers/organizers) ahead of time?
    Yes! Whether you are able to attend our Zoom sessions or not, you can send in any questions that you or your students might have to tgregory@rainbowstage.ca and they will be answered in the following Zoom session.
    What if I register but then I am unable to complete the project with my students?
    Can I do this project on my own time? This project can absolutely be completed on your own time. Although we encourage you to send in your creation up until May 28th, 2021, we want you to be able to work on this project on a timeline that works best for you. You can also register to take our free Zoom sessions now and keep this project in mind for the future!
    Do we have to write our own music as well?
    Our goal with this project is to support you in creating your own micro-musical, so we do encourage you to create your own music! How you create that music is completely up to you (technology, found objects, using pencils are drumsticks, the opportunities are endless).

    Rainbow Stage is committed to promote equal engagement opportunities by inclusive casting of artists who self-identify as diverse in roles where ethnicity, gender, age, the presence or absence of a disability, or any other ground of discrimination prohibited by law, is not prescribed

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