FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The Jesters of the University of Saint Francis will present their annual spring performances on March 9 and 10 at the Saint Francis North Campus Auditorium, 2702 Spring Street.
The starting times for “Carry On” are 6 p.m. Saturday, March 9 and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 10. Tickets are $10 and will be available for purchase at the door.
The Jesters, a performing group of people ages 8 and older with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD), has been sponsored by Saint Francis since 1978. There are 100 participants this year, the most in Jesters program history.
“Carry On” uses music, dance, theater, improvisation and visual art to tell an original story exploring diversity and how what we choose to carry as we move down life’s path influences our point of view.
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 storylines and characters, and participate in casting decisions. This focus on co-creation is the key to the program’s success.
The Jesters program is made possible with funding provided by the AWS Foundation, the M.E. Raker Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, the James Foundation, Mad Anthony Foundation, Surack Family Foundation, Foellinger Foundation, Plymouth Benevolence Fund, Arnold Foundation, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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 through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.