1812 Education
1812 Education opens up the power of communication and expression for students through the art of comedy and theatre, giving them a new perspective on how to learn and connect with their communities, their education, and themselves.
Meet The Team
1812's Teaching Artists are a fantastic group of Philadelphia teaching/performing/writing/directing/art-making indiviuals that we're so pleased to gring to local classrooms. At the beginning of the 2021/2022 school year, we asked each of our Teaching Artists a few fun questions about themselves and where they find some joy!
Chris Davis
What brings you joy?
Learning and teaching, teaching and learning. I love seeing students open new chapters of their imagination, think creatively, and the best part is I always learn something along the way as well. Seeing a student progress and grow and learn how to express themselves creatively and constructively is infinitely rewarding.
What is your favorite thing to do outside theatre?
My favorite thing to do outside of theatre is definitely bicycling! I cycle a lot just to get places, but at least 3-4 times a week I make time to bike around the Fairmount Park bike loop.
Share a fun anecdote about yourself! A fun thing about me is I lived in Mexico for three years. Specifically, Chiapas for one year, and Mexico City for two. I studied Spanish and learned a lot about the culture there, and I found every day new challenges and new joys. It was great to get outside of the United States and see the world from a different perspective.
Donovan Lockett
What brings you joy?
Uninhibited laughter, community, God, amazing vegan food, the South, watching my students succeed
What is your favorite thing to do outside theatre?
I absolutely love investing in my physical health. If I'm not performing or teaching, catch me somewhere around Philly engaging in some wild fitness routine!
Share a fun anecdote about yourself!
I'm your textbook visual learner, and it can be really challenging for me to take in information when it's purely an auditory experience. For that reason, I shocked myself in quarantine when I co-created my own podcast! It's called Black Light the Spotlight, and it educates listeners on representation in the arts.
Adaeze Nwoko
What brings you joy?
Puzzles bring me an immense amount of joy. I love all sorts of puzzles; jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, mystery novels, and more. There are tidbits of magic that exist in the possible outcomes, and the potential that each puzzle piece holds. Few things parallel the satisfaction that is born of completing a puzzle.
What is your favorite thing to do outside theatre?
Outside of theatre, I’m an avid cook. Being a part of a large family helped me see love as an infinite resource, with food being the ultimate labor of love. I have fond memories of hours spent in the kitchen with my siblings laboring over meals we would devour in 5 minutes. This instilled in me a passion for the process, the balance, and sharing the love born of my kitchen.
Katherine Perry
What brings you joy?
Every morning I drink a cup of coffee outside in my tiny backyard. I'm delighted watching the herbs and flowers I've planted grow despite having no idea what most of them are or what I'm doing.
What is your favorite thing to do outside theatre?
I love to cook and make a mess in the kitchen. I do not like to clean it up, though.
Share a fun anecdote about yourself!
One of my greatest sorrows is being too scared to go on the Jaws ride at Universal Studios.
History
1812 Education is our unique, in-school theatre-education program that uses comedy's often-overlooked power to illuminate, empower, and unite students through community and joy.
Winner of the 2016 Victory Foundation Barrymore Award and the 2012 George Bartol Arts Education Award, 1812 Education is an in-school arts program that serves students at two Philadelphia public schools: South Philadelphia High School and The Widener Memorial School for Children with Disabilities. In operation since our inception, 1812 Education supplements the academic and the life skills curriculum at our partner schools by teaching students the basics of theater, including playwriting, acting, stage presence, and character development in weekly workshops.
Given the current financial instability of public education, programs like 1812 Education are an essential piece of a well-rounded education for public school students. 1812 Education seeks to bolster the arts for students with otherwise limited access to them. As a result of arts programs in schools, students have been shown to be more confident, more comfortable, and achieve higher grades. In particular, our program that focuses not just on theatre but on comedy works to help students see their world from a new perspective and find common ground with their peers while exploring their own self-expression and boosting their confidence. 1812 Education and our partner schools guide these students to discover the power of the arts, and, specifically, the power of theatre and laughter to open their minds, change their perspectives, and introduce them to new ways of learning.
Currently, 1812 Education serves approximately 100 students at two Philadelphia public schools. Widener Memorial School is composed of 50 young adults, 6 to 21 years old, who possess developmental, physical, or medical disabilities. South Philadelphia High School includes 50 students, 20 of those who are English Language Learners.
For more information about 1812 Education and its programs, please email Tanaquil Márquez, Education Director, at tanaquil@1812productions.org
1812 Productions at The Widener Memorial School
Photos by John Flak
