Free to Be Program
Free to Be
Art & Improv Program for Youth with T1D
Diabetes is weird. It may be taught like a math problem, but some days, it feels like 2+2 never equals 4. Free to Be is a new DHF program designed to explore this human side of type 1 diabetes (T1D), focusing on navigating the highs and lows (pun intended!) that are a part of living with T1D.
Free to Be combines elements of visual and dramatic arts, participants are invited to embrace the chaos of life with T1D. Open to students in secondary school from across the GTA, participants will have the opportunity to connect with fellow T1Ds (including their two artistic facilitators!) and explore day to day life with T1D. They’ll customize and decorate their own character masks, and through combining both improv and classical theatre techniques, will develop scenes focused on expressing the complexities of diabetes. The program will culminate in a collective performance showcase for family, friends, and healthcare professionals. Join us as we explore beyond the numbers to create a space to connect, create and educate!
Program Details
Spring 2024 Free to Be Session
Free to Be is a program for youth living with type 1 diabetes that combines elements of visual and dramatic arts to embrace the chaos of life with T1D. Open to students in secondary school from across the GTA, youth will have the opportunity to connect with fellow T1Ds (including their two artistic facilitators!) and explore the day to day highs and lows of life with diabetes using visual arts, improv and classical theatre techniques. Join us as we explore diabetes beyond the numbers and create a space to connect, create and educate!
WHERE: Shakespeare In Action Studios @ Weston Commons, 34 John Street, Toronto ON M9N 0B2
WHEN: Saturdays from 2 – 4 PM, running April 6th through May 11th with a Showcase Performance on May 16th, 2024.
**If you are registering more than one youth, please fill out a form for EACH participant. Please reach out to info@diabeteshopefoundation.com if you have any questions!
Meet the Program Facilitators
Nathaniel Kinghan
BIO
My name’s Nathaniel Kinghan, and I’ve been living with type 1 diabetes since I was 11 years old. After graduating from Sheridan College and the University of Toronto’s joint Theatre and Drama Studies program in 2016, I began a career working as an actor and arts administrator.
I am so proud and excited to be piloting Free to Be, a program that will build a creative and communal space for youth living with T1D – a space I wish I’d had when I was younger! There’s a lot of power and confidence to be found in embracing the chaos that’s inseparable from T1D management. Creative expression can do wonders for self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-advocacy – each of which contribute to a healthy relationship to T1D. I’m particularly excited to share aspects of Commedia Dell’Arte with program participants – a classical theatre technique which employs customized masks and stock characters to create stories, scenes, and creative discoveries (learn more HERE). Commedia was traditionally used by poor artists to satirically joke about the rich and powerful, and I can’t think of any part of my life more in need of humbling than my diabetes.
I cannot wait to creatively explore the chaos of life with T1D as the program designer and co-facilitator for Free to Be!
Amal Bashir
BIO
My name is Amal Bashir and I’ve been living with Type 1 Diabetes since I was 8 years old. I’ve been working in the tech industry since 2018 and I have been a visual artist for most of my life. I have a big personality and an even bigger heart!
I am super excited to work with Nathaniel as a co-facilitator for Free to Be. I love being around people and the best feeling in the world is helping someone create a piece they can be proud of. When I host paint classes I want you to have an amazing experience throughout the time we spend together.
Sometimes you can’t control the paint on the canvas which is parallel with controlling your blood-sugars in my world. I want to emphasize throughout your experience that there are certain things in life that are beyond our control and we can still find joy within the chaos.
Generously funded by:
