24/25 imPACt Education Series

TICKETS AND ACCESS

The PAC has an annual commitment to provide learners across Niagara with high quality live performances and programs. These performances are offered during daytime hours with a guaranteed low ticket price of $10 +HST. Complimentary supervisor tickets are provided based on our ratio policy, additional supervisor tickets are $10 +HST.

For more information, to book tickets or to apply for imPACt Access support, contact: Diana Moser, Programming Associate 905-322-9846 | dmoser@firstontariopac.ca

The PAC recognizes that even the $10 +HST guaranteed low ticket price may be out of reach for many in the Niagara region. Thanks to the generous support of community members, the imPACt Access Dollars program ensures that all learners can attend an imPACt Education Series performance or event, free from financial barriers.

HOW TO SUPPORT

To support the imPACt Education Series guaranteed low ticket prices and the imPACt Access Dollars program, contact: Fund Development | Interim Development Officer 905-688-0722 x3708 | funddevelopment@firstontariopac.ca

SINCE 2016, IMPACT ACCESS DOLLARS HAVE HELPED LEARNERS WHO MAY:

• Be supported by mental health support programs

• Live in a low-income situation

• Have families in transitional housing or shelters

• Live in inner-city neighbourhoods or small rural communities

• Be English as a Second Language (ESL) learners

• Be recent immigrants to Canada

• Come from Indigenous or other racialized backgrounds

• Make use of their school’s free lunch program

• Have never been to a professional live arts performance before

education series

Setting the Stage for Young Minds

Performances

and Programs

for Pre K - 12

DOWNTOWN ST. CATHARINES

The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre gratefully acknowledges the following Rotary Clubs of Niagara for their generous support of our Arts Education Programs: Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, Rotary Club of Niagara Falls Sunrise, Rotary Club of Fonthill and the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

“ Theatre experiences help our students see the world beyond their neighbourhood, and know that our students truly appreciate these opportunities.” “ Engaging performance!

“ Thank you for accommodating our schools with the ticket subsidy this school year. The students and staff enjoyed attending the imPACt performances and the ticket subsidy gave many of them an opportunity to experience live theatre.”

Grade 7-8 are a tough age to program for. The post show artist talk was an excellent part of this experience. Thank you for all you do!"

The Arts Make An

IM PA C T

Our purpose is to make each day come alive through inspiring and engaging artistic experiences, for and with our community. The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) is proud to present an annual learner-focused live performance series to that aim.

The DISCOVERY pillar in the PAC Strategic Recovery Plan guides the imPACt Education Series:

• Barrier-free accessible learning programs

• Diverse artistic and creative knowledge-building activities

• The PAC as a home for learning through the arts

Since the imPACt Education Series began in 2016*:

“ An outstanding performance! Kids loved it. The post show Q & A was excellent, very valuable as the kids were able to connect what they saw with how hard the artist had to work to become that skilled.”

The imPACt Education Series includes high quality and diverse dance, music, theatre, storytelling and circus programming from Canadian and international artists that complements the Ontario Pre-K to Grade 12 curriculum. The series actively engages students’ curiosity and interests, inspires and educates, while providing them with a sense of wellbeing and belonging. All imPACt Education Series offerings are 60 minutes in length, unless otherwise noted.

The imPACt performances are offered during daytime hours with a guaranteed low ticket price of $10 +HST. However the PAC recognizes that even the $10 +HST guaranteed low ticket price may be out of reach for many in the Niagara region.

The imPACt Access Dollars program ensures that all learners can attend an imPACt Education Series performance or event, free from financial barriers.

Thanks to the generous support of community members, we can ensure the guaranteed low ticket price stays available on all imPACt performances, as well as keep the imPACt access dollars ready to support students in financial need. All it takes is $10 to change 1 learner’s life! Imagine $2,000 – this gift gives 200 learners the life-changing experience of attending a professional live performance in a world-class venue.

24,523 2,828 60+ $18,000

learners supervisors attended from 200 schools/groups across Niagara daytime live performances played out on our stages in subsidy supported tickets for students with identified needs

During the 23/24 imPACt Education Series:

5,964 learners and teachers attended from schools/groups 69

Where did they come from?

*The imPACt Education Series did not run during the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only part of the 2019-2020 program ran before being shut down.

MOMENTUM CHOIR

TUES 8 OCT 2024 @ 11AM MON 3 MAR 2025 @ 11AM

“It’s a shining star in the field of developmental disabilities.”

MOMENTUM CHOIR

TUES 8 OCT 2024 AT 11AM

MON 3 MAR 2025 AT 11AM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 9-12

THEMES: music, choral singing, inclusive performance, acceptance, celebration

Artists are visiting from across the Niagara region

Momentum Choir has made a difference in the communities it serves by providing a beacon of hope, professional training, inclusive education, and community involvement to people living with developmental disabilities. Through the performances you witness the personalities, characters and abilities of the choir members.

“A Momentum performance oozes inspiration.”

Momentum Choir was born out of musical therapist Mendelt Hoekstra’s desire to enrich the lives of those living with developmental disabilities through music and community involvement.

The main purpose of the Choir has been to provide a welcoming beacon of support, fun, discipline and education to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to partake in such an enriching activity.

MON 2 DEC 2024 @ 10AM / 12:30PM

MERMAID THEATRE

GOODNIGHT MOON & THE RUNAWAY BUNNY

MON 2 DEC 2024 AT 10AM + 12:30PM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR PRE-K - GRADE 3

“After many years of watching theatre productions as a teacher I feel I can recommend this company of performers to all. The production of Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny was a skilled and seemingly effortless work of the three puppeteers.”

THEMES: rituals, bedroom as a safe space, unconditional love, creativity, imagination

Artists are visiting from Nova Scotia

Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security. Mermaid Theatre’s staged adaptation brings a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.

TUES 10 DEC 2024 @ 12:30PM

CELEBRATE! HOLIDAYS OF THE GLOBAL VILLAGE WITH CHRIS MCKHOOL

& FRIENDS

FEATURING SULTANS OF STRING, SHANNON THUNDERBIRD, MARYEM & ERNIE TOLLAR, TAMAR ILANA AND MORE!

TUES 10 DEC 2024 AT 12:30PM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR PRE-K - GRADE 8

THEMES: music, holiday traditions and celebration from various cultures

Artists are visiting from Ontario and British Columbia

Chris McKhool and friends celebrate Canada’s multicultural mosaic with songs that provide young audiences a glimpse into the many customs and celebrations enjoyed across the country. Talented performers share music related to Chanukah, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Ramadan, and Indigenous traditions, among many other celebrations. It’s a window into global culture!

Inspired by travels around the world, Chris McKhool and friends celebrate the multicultural mosaic of our country with songs about Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Carnival (Quebec), Chanukah, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Diwali, Indigenous traditions, Kwanzaa (Pan-African), Ramadan & Eid, and Winter Solstice. Celebrate! is a window into many cultures from around the world and provides young audiences with a glimpse into the different customs, celebrations and festivities enjoyed in Canada. Traditional and original songs encourage us to share with our neighbours and friends and celebrate together!

FIRSTONTARIO PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | 24/25 IMPACT EDUCATION SERIES CONTACT DIANA MOSER | PROGRAMMING ASSOCIATE | DMOSER@FIRSTONTARIOPAC.CA 905-322-9846 | FIRSTONTARIOPAC.CA

YAMATO THE DRUMMERS OF JAPAN

THURS 16 JAN 2025 @ 12PM

YAMATO: THE DRUMMERS OF JAPAN

THURS 16 JAN 2025 AT 12PM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 1-12

THEMES: rhythm, percussion, traditional instruments, Japanese culture

Artists are visiting from Japan

Yamato is a Japanese Taiko drumming group based in Asuka-mura Nara Prefecture, Japan. They have given over 4,000 shows across 54 countries around the world since their formation in 1993. Yamato performs with more than 40 Taiko drums on stage and all of these drums have different characters. The largest drum called “Odaiko” was made from a huge tree over 400 years old and is approximately two meters in diameter and weighs 500 kg. All other Taiko drums are different sizes and have different sounds.

Yamato does not simply make their Taiko drums explode with sound; they produce delicate music that provides the listener with a palette of meticulously crafted sound. This is why Yamato’s original performances are known as “physical music”, and continue to receive high acclaim all over the world. Yamato is sometimes intense, sometimes sad, sometimes comforting, and in the next moment comical on stage.

Taiko is a musical instrument deeply familiar to every Japanese person. Its unmistakable sound is still heard throughout Japan today. To many Japanese people, the sonorous beat of Taiko is soothing, for it is the sound of Japan itself, resounding at Shinto rituals and festivals in every part of the nation. A number of artists have incorporated Taiko’s sound into musical compositions and performing arts. Thanks to the efforts of a number of accomplished Taiko individual performers and troupes, captivated by the distinctive boom of this enormous drum, Taiko is winning new fans around the world. This musical instrument eminently represents the identity of the Japanese nation.

The members of Yamato believe in the unique value of Taiko. They are committed to preserving its traditions and exploring new possibilities for this majestic instrument. Their goal is to create even more opportunities for the boom of Taiko to resound worldwide.

THURS 6 FEB 2025 @ 12PM

NEW NORTH COLLECTIVE CIRCUMPOLAR SOUNDSCAPE

THURS 6 FEB 2025 AT 12PM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 6-12

THEMES: Indigenous, music, folk/roots/traditional, jazz/blues, new music, spoken word

Artists are visiting from Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavik/Nunavut, British Columbia

The New North Collective’s interpretation of the world is modern, filled with the driving rhythms of a diverse musical and cultural landscape. Theirs is a contemporary expression of what it means to be from Canada’s North. This interpretation translates into a tightly woven artistic creation, comprised of many threads of music and visuals - each of which can trace its roots to long histories of its many musical traditions.

Together, they explore their ideas of north - from the land to the people; from the traditional to the contemporary. Their shared music focuses on an in-depth look at being a northern person and a northern artist with the impact of north on the music they have created using the musical lens of folk, jazz, traditional, experimental, spoken word, and rock. This music and media arts event is current, traditional, and thought provoking for diverse audiences reaching many demographics and musical tastes.

The New North Collective is an ensemble of Northern Canadian performing artists from Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavik/Nunavut including throat singer/drum dancer Sylvia Cloutier from Nunavut/Nunavik; spoken word artist/bassist Pat Braden and composer Carmen Braden from Yellowknife NT; singer/songwriter Diyet (Kluane First Nation), guitarist/songwriter Graeme Peters, trombonist/singer Selena Savage, and percussionist Robert Van Lieshout from the Yukon; with multi-instrumentalist Eric Reed from BC.

STEP AFRIKA!

TUES 25 FEB 2025 @ 12PM

STEP AFRIKA!

TUES 25 FEB 2025 AT 12PM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 1-12

THEMES: dance, body percussion, rhythm, African-American culture

Artists are visiting from United States of America

Step Afrika!’s signature performance shares the step tradition of audience participation and closes with a complex, polyrhythmic percussive symphony that brings audiences to their feet. This show introduces audiences to stepping through both a traditional and contemporary lens.

Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional West and Southern African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.

Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Under Mr. Williams’ leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s cultural exports, touring more than 50 countries across the globe. Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. Step Afrika! now ranks as one of the top ten African-American dance companies in the United States.

“a raucous, lively, interactive performance” - Broadway World (Washington D.C.)

FRI 28 FEB 2025 @ 10AM / 12:30PM

“One of the most relatable, raw portayals of how young people navigate consent.”

— Student

“Funny, thoughtful and entirely relatable.”

— NZ Herald

“intelligent, sensitive, honest, empathetic and insightful – all without a trace of preach.”

— Theatreview

YES YES YES

FRI 28 FEB 2025 AT 10AM + 12:30PM THE RECITAL HALL ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 9-12

THEMES: healthy relationships, desire, consent

Artists are visiting from Aotearoa-New Zealand

Jamie and Ari like each other. Karin and Tom do too. They might be at two separate parties, but their stories are identical. Until they really aren’t.

Part confession, part documentary, part open conversation, YES YES YES is a theatre show created for young people that explores the knotty and necessary topics of healthy relationships, desire and consent.

This latest work from award-winning duo Karin McCracken and Eleanor Bishop blends audience interaction with a captivating solo performance, and features in-depth interviews with teenagers from around Aotearoa-New Zealand.

THE ALPHABET OF AWESOME SCIENCE

WED 19 MAR 2025 @ 10AM / 12:30PM

THE ALPHABET OF AWESOME SCIENCE

WED 19 MAR 2025 AT 10AM + 12:30PM

Australian Venues Say YES!

RECOMMENDED FOR KINDERGARTEN - GRADE 8

“[The artists] put on a fantastic and hilarious show, where education meets explosive fun and a whole lot of laughing.”

literacy and words, science demonstrations

Artists are visiting from Australia

Join professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge (the Word Nerd and the Science Freak) for a thrilling voyage through the alphabet – where great big chewy sesquipedalian words inspire mindblowing scientific surprises. Professor Lexi Con has curated a curious collection of her favourite words (one for every letter of the alphabet) with each word providing Professor Noel Edge with an inspirational jumping off point for 26 quirky scientific demonstrations – that squish and squirt, float and fly, erupt and explode. Together, this dad-joke quipping, prank-pulling pair of polished professors strut their stuff in a performance that’s equal parts explosive, messy, spectacular, hilarious, fascinating and gross. And if things weren’t exciting enough, every show is completely different, with audiences determining the order in which the letters are revealed and explored. Plus, did we mention, this is a race? The plucky pair of professors have just 52 minutes to complete their alphabetical, scientifical countdown. That’s just 2 minutes per experiment! Will they make it in time...?

Established in 2002, That Science Gang creates innovative “Science Theatre” for young people and their families. We facilitate collaborations between theatre creators and science communicators to produce science-infused productions that better equip audiences to ask BIG questions about the world around them — so they can approach the future with knowledge and positivity.

THEATER TERRA RAPUNZEL

WED 23 APRIL 2025 @ 12PM

THEATER TERRA RAPUNZEL

WED 23 APR 2025 AT 12PM

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR PRE-K - GRADE 6

THEMES: honesty, standing up for yourself, courage, freedom

Artists are visiting from The Netherlands (Holland)

Theater Terra presents the new family musical Rapunzel, based on the famous European fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. A long time ago, there was a witch who took a young girl from her mother. The witch called the girl Rapunzel and locked her up in a high tower in the middle of the woods. Living there all alone, Rapunzel is only visited by the witch, who crawls up the tower on Rapunzel’s long braids. Until one day, when a Prince appears...

The show features the use of puppetry, music and inventive set designs. Rapunzel is the newest show from Theater Terra, a company from Amsterdam in the Netherlands that was founded almost 50 years ago. Theater Terra creates children’s theater and family musicals and performs these throughout the world.

MIMI O’BONSAWIN

TUES 6 MAY 2025 @ 10AM / 12:30PM

MIMI O’BONSAWIN

TUES 6 MAY AT 10AM + 12:30PM (ENGLISH AM, FRENCH PM)

PARTRIDGE HALL

ALL TICKETS $10 +HST

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES 7 - 12

THEMES: Francophone and Indigenous perspectives, the environment and connection to the land, identity, bravery, and being your unique self, mental wellness and wellbeing

Artist is visiting from Ontario

Mimi O’Bonsawin is an award-winning contemporary roots singer-songwriter from Northeastern Ontario. Through her rhythm and story-driven songs, Mimi embraces the beauty of the land, all the while yielding to her Franco-Ontarian and Abenaki roots. The ethereal quality of her music whisks you away with uplifting melodies and introspective lyrics that weave pop sensibilities with acoustic instruments. The layers of percussion and surprising harmonies make you feel the music rather than just hear it.

In her school performances, Mimi uses music as a tool to empower and amplify student voices. This show focuses on the healing properties of music, how songs can be written together to express ourselves and feel good, how music can connect us to the land and ourselves and how the heartbeat is a sacred rhythm. It includes sing-a-longs and movement that will be sure to delight teachers and students alike!

Mimi often performs as a duo with her husband Ryan Schurman on drums making it an intimate yet uplifting experience for the audience. They recently added Anthony King on lead guitar into the mix. Mimi’s latest album, Willow, was released in March 2023 and like her first instrumental album Fiddleheads & Ferns (2022), this album was produced and recorded in Mimi and Ryan’s log home studio. “Just like the bark of the willow tree, the making of this album has brought me so much healing. I have never felt more alive.”