Lost Nation Theater is the appointed “Arts Partner” for Central Vermont’s Head Start program by the Vermont Arts Council & the Central VT Community Action Council.

Lost Nation Theater places musicians, visual artists, dancers, and storytellers in 18 different Head Start (age 1-5) classrooms and family outing workshops throughout Montpelier, Barre, Chelsea, Northfield, Randolph, Bradford, and Boltonville, benefiting well over 800 children and families. LNT recruits the artists and matches them with the interests of the teachers and parents. Classroom residencies enjoy 5 visits from the artist. Family Outings are single workshops providing fun arts activities parents & their children can continue at home.

Thanks to its sponsors, LNT is also able to offer half-price admission to Head Start program participants to its children’s and family shows throughout each season.

We are thrilled to have lined up some of VT’s very best resident artists to participate.

Among the artists LNT has brought to Head Start over the past four years are:

• storytellers Sally Dains and Peter Burns;
• puppeteer Eric Dwyer – who shows children and their parents how to make puppets out of household materials;
• singer Jon Gailmor, who creates songs with families;
• musician Colin McCaffrey, who creates songs and makes simple instruments with kids & their families;
• musician & movement gurus Ellen Leonard and Christopher Robertson (aka: Christopher R and his Flying Purple Guitar);
• master percussionist Dov Schiller, who explores sounds and rhythms, and creates drums from recycled materials;
• mask maker Janice Walferen;
• and Irish Dancer Dierdre Moore.

New artists to Headstart in 2010 include Cher Laston (theater arts) and Ben T Matchstick (puppeteer, clown, and theater artist).

If you are interested in learning more, email Kathleen Keenan (LNT Producing Artistic Director), who coordinates the Head Start Arts Program, at kathleen@lostnationtheater.org

Head-Start Arts Workshops are made possible by funding from the Vermont Arts Council with matching funds from the Central Vermont Community Action Council.

Please call the theater at 802-229-0492 for assistance.