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Subjects: CALENDAR OF EVENTS, HEALTH

Mental Health Takes Centre Stage With Education Arts Canada's "The Secret Life of Riley K" Musical


TORONTO, April 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Education Arts Canada (EAC) is in high demand with its popular musical hit, The Secret Life of Riley K, experiencing an unprecedented run touring to schools in York Region, Simcoe County and beyond. This engaging play is geared for students in Grades 4-6, helping to entertain and educate them around issues involving mental health, including anxiety. In addition, EAC is also working on two other productions, and thanks to a three-year, $750,000 Grow Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, all three will be available for area audiences.

The Secret Life of Riley K is the first of EAC's brand new "My Voice" series featuring thought-provoking musicals supported by teaching resources for grades 4-6. The shows have been written to entertain and engage students while educating them about the important topics of identity and mental health. Eventually, tens of thousands of students across Ontario will be able to see the show, thanks to the OTF grant and the support it provides.  EAC has also scheduled a week of special performances to coincide with CMHA Mental Health Week - May 7 to 13, 2018.

The production was created in collaboration with writer/director Ali Joy Richardson and under the guidance of a team of mental health professionals. The show centres on the character of Riley (played by Toronto actress Jamie Joong Watts), a clever, ambitious girl who strives for a perfect life. But the prospect of giving a big speech leads her to explore her struggle with anxiety. Ample support, and challenges, comes from a variety of characters (including one played by Hayden Finkelshtain). Ultimately, Riley finds comfort and parallels to her own situation courtesy of a treasured storybook. Like the heroine in the book, she realizes that facing her anxiety is a tall mountain to climb, but one that she can face with one small step, and one deep breath at a time.

"It's one thing to read about all this in a text book, but to engage with it in the context of a live performance ? with human emotion and drama ? that is an experience that reaches students on a deeper level. Our preliminary study of students who engaged with this program showed a significant increase in mental health awareness and understanding," says David Gershon, Chair of EAC and Lyricist for The Secret Life of Riley K.

Gershon is one-half of a Juno award-winning couple, along with Judy Adelman Gershon, who wrote the score for the musical. 

Performer Jamie Joong Watts can relate through her own experiences with anxiety: "When it comes to mental health, it's hard to know where to start the conversation. The Secret Life of Riley K is a conversation starter, but even more than that, it's a conversation enabler. It provides a basic vocabulary for a complex subject. The Secret Life of Riley K manages to teach, comfort, and advise kids on mental health without preaching or lecturing."

Education Arts Canada (EAC) engages approximately 100,000 children, teachers and parents per year with live interactive music and drama in theatres, schools and other venues. Every EAC program includes supporting educational materials that are used in classrooms and homes to extend the impact of the presentations.  For more information on The Secret Life of Riley K. go to www.educationarts.ca and for the EPK, please go to The Secret Life of Riley K.

An agency of the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is one of Canada's largest granting foundations. With a budget of over $136 million, OTF awards grants to some 1,000 projects every year to build healthy and vibrant Ontario communities. www.otf.ca

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joely McEwen - 416 458 2508 / [email protected]



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