ENCORE Youth Theater is the newest project of CIC but has a history dating back to 2009. Formally Rainbow Alley Youth Theater under the GLBT Community Center of Colorado, ENCORE is not only a youth led project supporting LGBTQ youth in the community but also LGBTQ youth in facilities operated by Systems of Care. ENCORE embodies the following values:
- E – Youth are EDUCATORS for their peers and adults about their lived experiences.
- N –Youth should be the NAVIGATORS of their future endeavors with collaborative support from the adults in their lives.
- C – Youth are CREATORS of artistic works that reveal what is important to them and how they view the world.
- O – Youth as ORGANIZERS are a fundamental asset to advancing the movement of the LGBTQ Community.
- R – Youth sharing their stories will be the catalyst to the REVOLUTION in Systems of Care.
- E – Youth devising and producing theater is highly desired ENTERTAINMENT and a vehicle for teaching.
In ENCORE, youth devise, act and produce performance piece that are both original works and published scripts that gives voice to the youth community and challenges heteronormative privilege. Furthermore, positive youth development and leadership is embedded in both the philosophy and infrastructure of CIC. Youth are paid consultants and serve as advisors in determining the strategic direction of the agency. CIC prioritizes collaboration with organizations that uphold positive youth development and leadership.
The strategic vision for ENCORE Youth Theater is to offer Queer Youth Theater as an advocacy outlet and behavioral intervention for LGBTQ youth receiving services from Behavioral Healthcare, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice. Under the philosophy of a harm reduction model, Queer Youth Theater will be offered both in the community and in facilities operated by the aforementioned service arenas.
ENCORE Youth Theater is a member of Pride Youth Theater Alliance (www.prideyouththeateralliance.org) . PYTA is a growing network that advances the practice of Queer Youth Theater by providing emerging and established leaders in the field with resources and opportunities to exchange, collaborate, and learn.