What is Yard Dramas?

Our hallmark program is a customized, outdoor, interactive, and community-minded storytelling experience. It's how Yard Dramas started (read our history here) but we can adapt to the needs of your community and the setting you prefer. Founder Jennifer Ridgway has experience working in schools, community centers, libraries, and more. We even are adept at devising a virtual program and providing DIY tools for individuals, households, and businesses.

Explaining who Yard Dramas is and what will happen when we collaborate can be challenging. Every program is designed in collaboration with YOU. The possibilities are endless, from building theatre skills that boost confidence and develop empathy to integrating the arts into core academic curriculum to imagining litter solutions and so much more! You and your community add your fabulousness with unique stories, themes, topics, languages, cultures, experiences, goals, interests, and dreams that shape the process and inform every Yard Dramas experience.

While we don't know everything that will happen on your journey together, our process workbook identifies the guideposts you can expect.

What might participants experience?

Read the Yard Dramas social story to get an idea. Developed to support people with autism, everyone can benefit from reading our social story. Ask us about the Spanish version we recently developed!

What do our services include?

• intergenerational programming using theatre, puppetry, music, movement/dance
• a complete creative process from inspiration to development to a wide range of presentation and sharing opportunities
• program reflection and assessment
• virtual programming options
• do-it-yourself tools & resources
• professional development workshops for leaders, educators, and caretakers