The Jesters program at the University of Saint Francis will present its annual spring performances on March 7 and 8 in the North Campus Auditorium.
The performances of “I Declare!” will be March 7 at 6 p.m. and March 8 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door of the auditorium, 2702 Spring Street.
The Jesters is an interdisciplinary performing arts group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), ages 8 through older adults. “I Declare!” will use music, dance, theater, improvisation and visual art to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
Each year, Jesters’ teaching artists and participants co-create an original, interdisciplinary performance that is relevant to participants’ lives and highlights performers’ strengths. Participants collaboratively select a playlist, develop story lines, characters, dialogue and choreography to create an original performance. This focus on co-creation is the key to the program’s success.
The Jesters program and this year’s performance are provided with support from the WindSwell Foundation, Foellinger Foundation, M.E. Raker Foundation, Plymouth Benevolence Fund, Surack Family Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
For more information, contact Jesters Director Allison Ballard at aballard@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.