Jesters
Each year, the Jesters’ program starts the Saturday after Labor Day and continues until early March. A complete schedule along with performance dates is distributed each August. To participate in the year’s Jesters program, completed forms need to be completed and returned to the University Of Saint Francis’ School of Creative Arts (SOCA). Each year, registrations are accepted from August to October. Required forms include: Registration Form, Medical Form, Photo Release Form and Scholarship Form (optional). The fee for the Jesters program is $60 for the first participant in a family and $30 for additional participants from the same family. To remove barriers and continue making the program accessible to everyone, scholarships are available.
Jesters Summer Program
The Jesters program at the University of Saint Francis (USF) will offer a free performing arts program for people with disabilities on Tuesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. on July 30, Aug. 6, 13, 20 and 27 and Sept. 3 at the USF dance studio in the back of the North Campus building. The six-week summer program will include dance/movement, stories, theatre, percussion and music (instrumental and voice) activities, and will create a template for next year’s Jesters performance in spring 2014. Participants may take part in the performance, but are not required to do so. The program is free to anyone with a disability, regardless of his or her involvement with the traditional Jesters program held annually September through March.
Junior Jesters
The Jesters program of the University of Saint Francis will launch a new program, Junior Jesters, in September 2013 for children ages 6 to 14 with developmental/physical disabilities. Modeled after the traditional Jesters program, which serves adults with disabilities, Junior Jesters will offer customized activities in dance/movement, music (instrumental and voice) and theater, facilitated by local teaching artists. The program will meet weekly from September to March, culminating in the spring with an original multi-media performance featuring children, teen and adult participants. The Jesters and Junior Jesters programs will begin Sept. 7 and meet each Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon at the USF North Campus building at 2702 Spring St., across from the main campus. A visual arts program will be held from noon-2 p.m. in the Rolland Center for Art and Visual Communication. Participants are welcome to attend the morning session only, or both the morning and afternoon sessions. During the morning session, chilren in the Junior Jesters will be served separately from the teens and adults. During the afternoon visual arts session, the children will learn with the teens and adults. The Jesters program will not meet Nov. 30 due to Thanksgiving or Dec. 21and 28 or Jan. 4 and 11 due to holiday break. The program will resume Jan. 18 and will continue meeting each Saturday from 10 a.m-2 p.m. through March 8. The spring 2014 performance will be presented March 8 at 6 p.m. and March 9 at 3 p.m. at the North Campus auditorium. The program is made possible in part through funding by the AWS Foundation. Annual participation fees are $60 per participant. Scholarships are available.
Registration Information
Participants can register by calling the USF School of Creative Arts at (260) 399-7700, ext. 8001 to request registration forms. For questions, contact Director Allison Ballard by phone at 745-3107 or email at allis2b@yahoo.com.
Please include either a check/money order made payable to the University of Saint Francis OR a completed Scholarship Form. Send forms and fee to:
ATTN: Jesters
University of Saint Francis’
School of Creative Arts (SOCA)
2701 Spring Street
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808
The Jesters does not meet during the Thanksgiving weekend or from mid-December to mid-January. Please know that if a participant wants to perform in the culminating performance in March, then s/he is expected to regularly attend the Jesters program 10:00 to 2:00 on Saturdays, January through March.
The Jesters program is funded in part by a grant from the AWS Foundation.