A.C.O.R.N Theatre Camp by Frank Dattolo
A.C.O.R.N Theatre Camp is an intensive week-long program for Deaf and hard-of-hearing middle school and high school students held in an outdoor retreat-style environment. Through the use of theatre craft, A.C.O.R.N promotes and fosters Artistry, Communication, Opportunity, Resourcefulness and Nurtures, pride, self-esteem, and independence.
This unique camp focuses on the importance of promoting self-awareness, literacy, motivation, independence, and problem-solving through the tools in theatre. By enhancing their self-esteem, the students are able to accept bigger challenges that they will face within their daily lives. It is essential that Deaf and hard-of-hearing (Deaf/HH) children be given the artistic opportunity to take pride in themselves, which will help them in presenting themselves to the hearing world in a competent, confident way.
Currently there are only a handful of theatre programs that are catered specifically to Deaf/HH students with very limited slots available for enrollment. Most of the programs do not allow out-of-state students due to limitations regarding funding from school districts. Most academic programs for the Deaf/HH focus on language development and rehabilitation but give little or no attention to the arts.
Frank L. Dattolo and Camille Jeter-Lorello, founded A.C.O.R.N Deaf Theatre in 2008. Prior to that, there were no outdoor retreat camps that focused solely on theatre training for Deaf/HH children. It became very clear to the founders that these students very much need this, potentially, once in a lifetime opportunity where they can relate to other hearing theatre enthusiasts. A.C.O.R.N Theatre Camp gathered Deaf and signing instructors where the students could communicate directly through their native language rather than going through a sign language interpreter. For the past six years, A.C.O.R.N Theatre Camp eventually made this a true to life experience for these specific children.
In its early stages of development the A.C.O.R.N Theatre Camp was originally designed to run for five weeks and would accommodate 20 to 25 middle school and high school Deaf/HH students in a an outdoor retreat-style environment. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, we were forced to narrow down the program to a one week camp. The original plan was to host the camp in several locations throughout the country, starting in the Northeast then moving to the Southeast and eventually covering the entire US. However, for the last six summers we have hosted the camp in Brooklyn, Michigan under the direction of the Holley Institute. Two summers prior to that we collaborated with the Camp Mark 7 (CM7) in Old Forge, NewYork. We are currently seeking collaboration with several Deaf and hearing camp facilities for future camp programs.
Since then, A.C.O.R.N Theatre Camp has created an environment full of challenging and engaging opportunities for the Deaf/HH youth. The style of this program is unique in that it frees the students from the demands of the regular school day and allows for an immersion experience into the world of theatre provided in their native language, American Sign Language. The camp provides the most comprehensive arts instructional facility of its kind in the country for Deaf/HH youth.
It is the hope of the camp creators to inspire and develop a large number of well-trained, confident and competent Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing artists. Our current and future donors will assist in planting the seeds that will lead to a more diversified and talented pool of Deaf community members.
For more information, check out www.acorndeaftheatre.org and click LIKE on our Facebook page.
