Using the works of William Shakespeare, The Viola Project unites and empowers girls and gender nonconforming youth from diverse backgrounds so they may grow up to be whoever they want to be.

The Viola Project celebrates play and performance in young people while creating a foundation for young women and gender nonconforming youth to stand up, advocate for themselves, and demand inclusion: inclusion in the classroom, in the workspace, in the world and on the stage. Our students have the unique opportunity to examine critical issues through creative play, interdisciplinary workshops, and, of course, Shakespeare. Why? Shakespeare's characters are determined to get what they need, to be understood, to be listened to. There is no better teacher for how to use language to make your voice heard than William Shakespeare.

In addition to running summer camps, The Viola Project partners with schools and community organizations to create after school programming tailored to meet the individual needs of the girls and community we are serving. 

The Viola Project welcomes all girls and gender nonconforming youth regardless of their race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation or ability.   

It is The Viola Project's mission to keep our programming accessible to all girls, no matter what their financial situation is. Please email violainfo@violaproject.org with the subject line SCHOLARSHIP to inquire about available aid. 

The Need:

During adolescence, young women and gender minorities begin the process of actively removing their voices from public discourse.  In school, they participate less, speak less, stand up for their ideas less and are faced with intense pressure to conform to societal pressures including expectations of ideal body image, negative perceptions of female leadership as well as the realities of minimal representation in mainstream narrative, income inequality and access to healthcare.  It is the goal of The Viola Project to increase agency in voice in order to equip girls and gender nonconforming with the tools to advocate for their individual needs.

At The Viola Project, we believe in three core values:
Play, Empathy, and Strength.

Play is the ability to take risks, commit to actions, and follow through without fear of being “wrong.”
- TVPers commit with full body and voice while performing Shakespeare's texts. 
- TVPers take risks when speaking up and learn that their opinion is always valuable no matter what others might think.
- TVPers know that it's okay to be silly, serious, loud, and opinionated and no one can tell them how they are "supposed to" behave just because of their identity. 

Empathy is the ability to understand and be aware of others’ feelings and experiences in order to form connections.
- TVPers know that our classroom is not just a "Safe Space," but it's also a "Brave Space." We don't shy away from difficult conversations. We challenge our students to view issues from multiple perspectives. 
- TVPers support the learning and experience of other students by recognizing both their differences and similarities.
- TVPers reach beyond their personal scope of the world to build bridges between themselves and others, whether it be Juliet, a fellow student, or a world leader.

Strength is the ability to express what you feel, believe, and know in order to take ownership over both personal growth and that of the overall community.
- TVPers ask questions and challenge themselves to go beyond expectations
- TVPers advocate for their own needs and opinions and fight for inclusion in their personal lives as well as the entire world.
- TVPers know that they can Just Be. There is no question.

Most of all, we believe that TVPers are the future and can change the world. 

Contact The Viola Project:               
email: ViolaInfo@violaproject.org
phone: 1(773)-349-2685                  

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