Kids pledge to reduce carbon footprint by 10,500+ tonnes because of “Keep Cool! a play about climate change”

Over 3,800 Metro kids have gone online and pledged to reduce over 10,500 tonnes of greenhouse gasses after having seen DreamRider Theatre’s climate change play, "Keep Cool!".  The contest – and the play – teaches kids how to reduce their carbon footprint by giving them information such as walking or biking instead of riding in a car; turning off the lights; turning off computers if you’re not using them, etc.  It calculates the reduction in greenhouse gas emmissions with each question the kids answer.

DreamRider toured 79 Metro Vancouver elementary schools with their hit show "Keep Cool! a play about climate change" recently. Richmond’s Blundell Elementary was the winning school – with the highest percentage of responses per capita. Blundell School will receive a $1,000 cash prize from DreamRider Theatre towards arts programs at their school.

"DreamRider Theatre is  thrilled at the high response for this contest," says DreamRider’s Co-Artistic Producer, Vanessa LeBourdais, who also wrote the music for the play, and co-wrote the script. "We’re proud of the dedication of Metro Vancouver kids to make change in their habits, and to become Climate Protectors, like Esmeralda in the play."

Star of the show, director and co-writer Ian Gschwind concurs, "We hear all the time from parents how they, too, have changed what they do because their kids saw our plays."

Visit http://www.dreamridertheatre.com for more information

BACKGROUND:

In DreamRider Theatre’s trademark zany and fun style, Keep Cool! teaches kids what they can do to reduce their energy consumption and minimize their “carbon footprint”.  Elementary school audiences will learn about positive actions they can take to offset climate change, specifically teaching them ways they can reduce carbon gas emissions. They also pass that inspiration on to their families and communities.

DreamRider Theatre is Greater Vancouver’s Environmental Education Theatre Company, started by veteran theatre artists Ian Gschwind and Vanessa LeBourdais in 1998, to create and perform environmentally-themed plays for Vancouver elementary schools. Our mission is to build a generation of ecologically-responsible citizens through the excitement of live theatre, and to introduce the fundamentals of environmental awareness to school age children. Actor/Director Sarah Holt joined the company in 2001.

Every year DreamRider tours 200-250 performances throughout the lower mainland. For the last ten years, we have been a proud part of the force for change that has brought environmental awareness to the fore. Keep Cool! is suitable for grades K-7. 45 minutes. The show is targeted to intermediate students but brings lots of fun to primary classes too.

Ian Gschwind is Co-Artistic Producer, Writer and Actor of DreamRider Theatre. Ian and Vanessa are both two-time winners of Hollywood’s Moondance Film Festival’s Award for Best Script of a Musical for The Dreamer’s Quest (Western Canada Theatre), and Quantum Physics: The Musical. He and Vanessa wrote Gremlin for Carousel and Geordie Theatre. Vanessa LeBourdais is Co-Artistic Producer, Composer and Actor for DreamRider Theatre, and is also a musical director and award-winning playwright. In addition, Vanessa wrote the music for the hit show Larger Than Life: The Musical with S.G. Lee (Firehall Theatre/Gateway Theatre).

Funding for the project was provided by Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program, VanCity Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, The City of Richmond, The City of Vancouver, Langley Environmental Partners, the Corporation of Delta, Mountain Equipment Co-Op, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and The Hamber Foundation.