ENCINITAS — Positive Action Community Theatre (PACT) begins its summer eight-week workshops series July 13 at Dance North County, 535 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 101.Since 2008, PACT has been offering inclusive performing arts programs to children, teens, and adults with unique needs in the North County area. PACT performing arts programs offers a place to cultivate artistic talents and learn life skills like self esteem, cooperation, fitness, and creativity.
In addition to improvisational theater, PACT also offers inclusive performing arts workshops, where participants enjoy group singing and choreographed dancing. PACT Co-founder and Executive Director Kathryn Campion said “We are very happy
to have found a way to help those with unique needs to express their unique gifts to the
world. We all benefit from their contribution to our community.”
Anne Barber, a parent of a teen with autism said “In many social programs for kids on the autistic spectrum, all of the participants have disabilities and so higher-functioning kids, like my son, don’t have peers without disabilities to learn from. This program solves that challenge creatively. When asked what his interests are, he now shares that he is good at improvisational theater. The positive attention that he’s received in response to his participation has boosted his confidence. He has made a friend at the workshop who goes to his school and they are now hanging out during and after school. This is his first close friend since he started attending high school almost two years ago. My son really enjoys coming, which is not always the case with activities that have therapeutic benefit.”
PACT programs are inclusive, consisting of a mix of peers with and without
disabilities. Volunteers serve as peer mentors as they participate as equals with the group. Mostly those served with disabilities have autism, but all children, teens, and adults with unique needs are invited.
