April 2022
CETA Members

I hope everyone is enjoying the Spring and I hope that you get plenty of chances to leave your dark theatre and enjoy the sun! I know many of your have Spring shows and other events but let's be honest, we all need the rest and relaxation of Spring Break!

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to our 2nd annual StandUp4Arts Education Day! I especially would like to thank CETA Past President Amanda Swann for taking the lead on this project.

Please take some time to look through the information below. This newsletter features the following:
  • Stand Up 4 Arts Education Day Video
  • VAPA Coordinators Data Collection
  • Arts and Music Initiative Update
  • Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month
  • Celebrate National Deaf History Month
  • Membership Corner
  • Celebrations
  • Legislative Update
  • CETA Awards Nominations
  • Special Offers from Student Plays.

On behalf of the CETA Board of Directors I want to remind you that CETA is here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to let us know what we can do for you. As always, thank you for your membership. If you have any thoughts or suggestions please do not hesitate to email me at mdespars@cetaweb.org. 
Cheers,
Michael J. Despars
President, California Educational Theatre Association
2022 Stand Up 4 Arts Education Day
Did you miss the celebration? You can still watch the incredible virtual celebration below
VAPA COORDINATORS DATA COLLECTION
Do you have a District VAPA Coordinator?
Do you have a site VAPA Coordinator?
Do you have. County VAPA Coordinator?

CETA is in the process of collecting contact data and information for all County, District and Site VAPA Coordinators. A comprehensive list of these individuals does not exist. We will use this information to send coordinators info about professional development, CETA events, Award opportunities, membership opportunities, arts funding information and much more. Complete the Google form using the link below.
Californians for Arts and
Music Education in Public Schools
This measure will transform Arts and Music education in California by providing nearly $1 Billion a year in dedicated funding for public schools to use for arts and music education. This is the funding we’ve been fighting for to provide more arts and music teachers, training and supplies to ensure our students receive this critical piece of their development and education. 

Signatures collected to date:
Over 800,000

Sign up for updates on the campaign website: www.VoteArtsAndMinds.org.
CELEBRATING ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
BACKGROUND: Celebrating the rich and diverse culture and contributions of the diverse population of Arab Americans, National Arab American Heritage Month has been observed during the month of April since 2017.

An estimated 3.7 million Americans have Arab roots, according to the Arab American Institute, with ancestries traced to 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and others. (SOURCE)

Join CETA as we celebrate Arab American History Month

  1. Arab Actors in Hollywood
  2. The Arab-American Theatre: Still a Struggle for Visibility (Article)
  3. Arabs and Muslims Onstage: Can We Unpack Our Baggage? (Article)
  4. This Month in Theatre History (Article)
  5. Arab Theatre Traditions
  6. MENA Theatre Makers Alliance: We are theater makers of Middle Eastern and North African heritage working in the United States.
  7. Academy Award Winner Troy Kotsur, played Cyrano at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles back in 2013. https://youtu.be/vkU8AYRAd3A. In 2016, he shared that experience https://youtu.be/Z2ZDj-n8oR4

Do you have an additional resources you would like to share with other CETA Members? Email links and files to mdespars@cateweb.org or share it with us on social media @CaTheatreEd.
Arab Puppet Theatre Foundation, the Emperor and the Elephant
CELEBRATING NATIONAL DEAF HISTORY MONTH
BACKGROUND: National Deaf History Month is celebrated from March 13th through April 15th. Deaf History Month is celebrated at this time of year because of three main events in the history of deaf education.
  1. On April 15, 1817, America's first public school for the deaf was opened.
  2. On April 8, 1864, Gallaudet University (the first institution of higher education for the deaf and hard of hearing) was officially founded.
  3. On March 13, 1988, Gallaudet University hired its first deaf president. (SOURCE)

Join CETA as we celebrate Deaf History Month with some resources you can use in your classroom.

  1. A List of Deaf Theatre Companies
  2. Deaf Theatre West
  3. National Theatre for the Deaf The National Theatre of the Deaf explores what it means to be Deaf in America, through arts-focused initiatives and stories about us, by us, through us. Current Projects
  4. Deaf American Theatre in the 21st Century (Video) A virtual roundtable moderated by the National Theatre of the Deaf that brings forward perspectives on the future of Deaf Theatre by several Deaf artistic directors from around the country.
  5. 200+ Famous Deaf People [A List of Famous Inventors, Actors, Musicians, Models & More!]
  6. Famous deaf black individuals you should know about
  7. Deaf Theatre Resources from San Francisco Public Library
  8. NEA Roundtable: Creating Opportunities for Deaf Theatre Artists

Do you have an additional resources you would like to share with other CETA Members? Email links and files to mdespars@cateweb.org or share it with us on social media @CaTheatreEd.
MEMBERSHIP CORNER
Dear Members, you should have received the CETA Membership card and Welcome Letter. Contact gaijones2013@gmail.com if you did not receive the letter and card which was mailed to your work address or if you received the letter and card, and any correction needs to be made.
CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations to Jeff Bengford, theatre arts educator and performing arts chair at Westmont High School in Campbell Union High School District His commitment to theatre is an excellent example of how the arts can help students reach their full potential. We are grateful for his dedication to education and positive impact on the arts community!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The Assembly Bill #AB1718 Expanding Access to the Arts, World Languages, and Culture by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath has passed the Assembly Education Committee with a bipartisan, non-opposition vote! CETA thanks CMEA Past-President John Burn, Vice-President Chad Zullinger, and the CMEA lobbyist Martha Zaragoza Diaz spent the day at the Capitol providing testimony in support of the bill.

Read more about this Bill HERE
CETA AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Each year, CETA members help identify an individual or organization that has made an important contribution to Educational Theatre by nominating them for a CETA Award!

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING NOMINATIONS!!


The button below will take you to the nomination page, which lists all the awards and includes a link to the nomination form.
SPECIAL OFFER FROM
Playwright John Glass & Student Plays
Spooky Scripts from Student Plays

Student Plays is running discounts on all spooky plays. Forty Whacks, Finals with Felini, The Witch Makes Five and several others are all age-appropriate and great for the fall Halloween season. We also have plenty of high school and middle school one-acts and Latino-themed plays.
 
All plays are on www.johnglass.org. We do not charge licensing or video-recording fees; simply one flat price per production!
 
Contact me at john@studentplays.org for more details. Thank you, and have a fantastic spring!
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