Westport Writers’ Workshop Receives CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities
Westport Writers’ Workshop (WWW) was recently awarded an $8300.00 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities (CTH). CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public.
WWW will apply grant monies to their Outreach Program, where writing is taught to individuals undergoing specific challenges or who have survived some type of hardship. The grant will help fund volunteer instructors to visit various communities to foster healing and growth through story.
In recent years, WWW has brought complementary programming to The Center for Empowerment and Education (formerly the Danbury Women’s Shelter), Homes for the Brave, Caroline House, Harlem Village Academies, Writing for Women affected by Breast Cancer, College Essay Writing for Fairfield Seniors, and Writing for Women with Special Needs Children. Should your organization like to be considered for the program, email info@westportwriters.org
“Westport Writers’ Workshop is overwhelmed with gratitude for receiving the generous grant from the CT Humanities Foundation. This grant will enable us to continue to provide qualified instructors to teach classes for FREE in underserved communities who will benefit from the healing power of writing and storytelling. This grant will also provide partially funded scholarships to eligible writers at the Westport Writers’ Workshop,” said Blake Schnirring, Executive Director
Westport Writers’ Workshop is one of the 725 organizations in Connecticut receiving a CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant. Totaling more than $8.5M, these grants are part of a two-year, $30.7M investments in arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits by the CT General Assembly and approved by Governor Ned Lamont.
This CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant is provided to Westport Writers’ Workshop from CT Humanities, with funding from the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.
The Westport Writers’ Workshop is an independent literary arts center offering enriching, supportive creative writing classes, as well as free literary readings to the public. Our organization also provides free writing workshops to underserved populations in their own communities. For details regarding classes, services, and the Outreach Program, go to westportwritersworkshop.com.
CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Westport Museum's “Connecticut Witch Panic Escape Room” Returns after Popular Demand
Press ReleaseOur escape room runs from February 18th through June 24th. Time slots are available Tuesdays-Thursdays from 11:30 am to 5 pm; on Fridays and Saturdays slots run from 11:30 am through 8 pm. All reservations last for 60 minutes, with the recommendation of arriving 15 minutes prior to your start time.
Be they witch or warlock? Only you can find clues to the truth. Step into the museum’s historic seven-sided barn as 17th century investigators tasked with discovering the evidence that could prove the innocence of an accused witch. Your group of up to ten people have one hour until the trial when the alleged witch will have their fate decided.
This is a great group activity! Wonderful for birthdays, company activities or a club outing. Fun for the whole family, this escape room is recommended for children over eight. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Groups of 2-10 people. Reservations are required, select your date and time online. Reservations close 48 hours prior to their posted start date. You may make your reservation private for an additional $20 per group.
Tickets may be purchased here. To book a private session or use your member discount, please call the museum at (203)-222-1424. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt. Groups arriving 15 minutes after their reservation start time will have their reservation cancelled.
Online waiver acknowledgment is required prior to entry into the escape room. Those 17 and under must have the waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
https://westporthistory.org/events/connecticut-witch-panic-escape-room-returns/
Westport Country Playhouse Stages “Scaredy Kat Presents”; a Play about Social Anxiety Disorder
Press ReleaseWestport Country Playhouse will stage “Scaredy Kat Presents,” on Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m., for one performance only. The show is currently touring the area through April as the inaugural production of the Playhouse Mobile Unit. The family play captures the joys and struggles of adolescence while also attempting to destigmatize social anxiety disorder. Written by Janine Sobeck Knighton, “Scaredy Kat Presents” won the Purple Crayon Players PLAYground Festival in 2020. The author will participate in a talkback with the audience following the March 5 performance.
Director is Jenny Nelson, the Roz and Bud Siegel director of education and community engagement at the Playhouse. The show is geared to ages 9 through 15 and runs about one hour. Tickets are $25.
“While the intent of the Playhouse Mobile Unit is to bring our traveling productions to schools, libraries, and other indoor spaces throughout the State of Connecticut, we are staging a performance at the Playhouse to officially unveil our new educational initiative to the public,” said Nelson.
In “Scaredy Kat Presents,” 11-year-old Kathryn’s social anxiety disorder has alienated her from her school classmates. She’s nervous, fearful, and panicky around them so they call her Scaredy Kat. After school, Kathryn retreats alone to her basement with her two passions: Alfred Hitchcock films and stop motion animation. When a new neighbor, Nadia, is forced to spend her afternoons at Kathryn’s house while her mom is working, Nadia’s keen interest in art could be the secret to Kathryn’s empowerment. The show trailer is available at: https://youtu.be/n7upqec9a-0
The cast includes Betzabeth Gonzalez as Kathryn (Connecticut-based actor, singer, and teaching artist; Westport Country Playhouse’s “New Works/New Voices”; credits with Play with Your Food, Fairfield Center Stage, Collective Consciousness Theater); Jacqueline Brown as Mom (performances on stages in Connecticut, New York, and film sets in Atlanta, GA; acting coach, writer); and Juliana Rivera as Nadia (Connecticut and New York City-based actress, singer, writer and visual artist; roles with Downtown Cabaret Theatre, Fordham Studio Theatre, Fordham Mainstage Theatre, Bridgeport Theatre Company).
Author Janine Sobeck Knighton is a dramaturg, playwright, screenwriter, story consultant, and educator. She is currently the associate professor of playwriting and dramaturgy and the associate department chair at Utah Valley University. She is the creator of JSK Stories, a production company and website focused on providing a platform for kids and teenagers to share their creative work in a safe, online environment.
Director Jenny Nelson received her bachelor’s degree in theater and master’s degree in theater from the University of Arizona. She earned a second master’s degree in education from Fairfield University. Nelson is the associate artistic director of Collective Consciousness Theatre, a social justice theater in New Haven. She worked as an artist and educator at theaters, including Long Wharf Theatre, Shubert Theatre, and Yale Repertory Theatre. Nelson was a nominee for the Tony Teaching Award of Excellence.
Following the performance on the Playhouse stage, the Playhouse Mobile Unit will bring “Scaredy Kat Presents” to area schools, libraries, churches, synagogues, and community centers now through April, with its professional actors, set, costumes, and special effects. After each touring performance, there is a Q&A with the actors about the play and its message. A study guide and curriculum are provided with classroom activities and games.
“Scaredy Kat Presents” is sponsored by Judy and Scott Phares and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Robert and Jan Anestis, Paige and Jodi Couture, Elizabeth and Matt Salem, The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts, Barbara Streicker, and the Town of Westport's American Rescue Plan Funds. Education programming at Westport Country Playhouse is generously supported by Roz and Bud Siegel.
For more information and tickets to “Scaredy Kat Presents,” visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/scaredykatpresents/
To learn more about the Playhouse Mobile Unit or book a performance, contact the Playhouse education department at education@westportplayhouse.org or call Kendall Driffin, education and community engagement associate, at 203-571-1133.
For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org, or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
Upcoming Planning and Zoning Meeting to Strike Out “Character” from Regulation Language
Press ReleasePlanner Amanda Trianovich announced on February 27, 2023, at 7:00 PM, a public hearing of the Planning and Zoning Commission will be held to replace or remove “Character” throughout the Westport Zoning and Subdivision Regulations pursuant to Public Act 21-29.
Public Act 21-29 (the Act), effective 10/1/21, found here, states that municipal zoning regulations must no longer be drafted with consideration as to the “character” of a district, but instead with consideration as to its “physical site characteristics”. The Act also prohibits denial of any land use application or zoning approval “on the basis of a district’s character, unless such character is expressly articulated in such regulations by clear and explicit physical standards for site work and structures.”
Text Amendment #813, authored on behalf of the Planning and Zoning Commission, proposes to replace or remove “Character” throughout the Westport Zoning and Subdivision Regulations where it is not accompanied by clear and explicit physical standards, while staying as close to the original meaning and intent of the Regulations as possible. Text Amendment #813 can be viewed online here.
The February 27, 2023, public hearing will be held virtually via Zoom, will be live streamed on the Town’s website at www.westportct.gov, and accessible on Optimum Government Access Channel 79 and Frontier Channel 6020. Comments can be sent prior to the meeting at PandZ@westportct.gov and interested parties may join the meeting virtually or call in to offer testimony during the meeting. To access the meeting links, view the meeting agenda online here.