Faraway Woods, a New Podcast by Award-Winning Children's Theatre, Teaches Pro-Social and Arts Skills

St. Paul, MN, March 23, 2016 (Newswire.com) - CLIMB Theatre, an award-winning educational theatre company based out of St. Paul, MN, has launched an innovative new podcast for children ages 4-9. The program, called Faraway Woods, helps children develop pro-social and arts skills by listening to the interactive podcast and participating in follow-up arts activities. The project is funded through an Arts Learning grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Episodes of Faraway Woods are available to the public for free on CLIMB Theatre’s project website, FarawayWoods.org, and via iTunes and Stitcher.  The first season, which launched on March 15, will feature 14 interactive episodes along with self-guided games and activities parents and teachers can do with their children.

Typically, theatres are limited in the audiences they can reach due to geography. Podcasting is a new technology that lets us create innovative, interactive programs that can be easily delivered to children around the world.

Peg Wetli, Executive Director, CLIMB Theatre

CLIMB Theatre is one of the largest children’s theatres in the Upper Midwest and is a recipient of the Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.

“This is unlike any project we’ve done before,” said Wetli. “Typically, theatres are limited in the audiences they can reach due to geography. Podcasting is a new technology that lets us create innovative, interactive programs that can be easily delivered to children around the world.”​

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About CLIMB Theatre

CLIMB’s mission is to create and perform plays, classes, and other works that inspire and propel people, especially young people, toward actions that benefit themselves, each other, and their communities. Each year, CLIMB brings plays and classes to more than 400 schools throughout MN, IA, ND, SD, IL, and WI, reaching approximately 200,000 students. CLIMB is the 2014 winner of the Mission Award for Anti-Racism Initiatives from the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits. In 2009, CLIMB was awarded the prestigious Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award from the national association AATE, which promotes standards of excellence in theatre and theatre education. 

Funding Information

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.