Sneak peek at the set design for our new water conservation play

This just in! This painting is about 18 inches across by 6 1/2 inches (45.7cm x 16.5cm)- and now our scenic painters are painting the actual set, which will be 18 feet by 6 1/2 feet (5.5m x 1.98m).

You might be wondering why there is a farm pictured here, in a set for a water show. Why not have the whole painting covered in images of water? Because, as Angus McAllister pointed out in a workshop about water, water is in everything - water is life. And water is essential for growing food. We look for signs of life on other planets by looking for water. That's how important it is. That's what we hope to get across in our new show H2Whoa!

By the way, I painted this set design. Now, to get to work on the songs for the show! Oh, and write a big grant for our Planet Protectors website project. Don't worry, I have lots of amazing help.

Vanessa

Good Green News!

Thanks to our friends at TELUS, DreamRider just shot the very first two episodes of the Good Green News - news in your neighbourhood reported by kids about the good green things happening.

Here's an episode about Vancouver Bike Lanes:

And the second one, about Vancouver's Urban Gardens:

We had a blast making these and hope to make more!

Photos from the Good Green News shoot:


Here's our host, Tia, 9, at Vancouver City Hall.

 Interviewing City Councillor Andrea Reimer:

 Director Vanessa LeBourdais with TELUS cameraman Greg Coletti setting up a shot for the bike lanes episode, with host Tia waiting patiently to start.

photo (c) Hilary Mandel

Tia interviews urban farmer Ilana Labow:

photo (c) Hilary Mandel

As Tia says, with great green news like this, "What's not to like?"

We want to hear your Good Green News. Make a video and send it to us! Send to dreamrider (at) shaw.ca!

Esmeralda Planet Protector rides again!

Esmeralda Superspy Planet Protector is getting ready for more action! Last week, we shot footage for two upcoming episodes in the Planet Protector series: Esmeralda Planet Protector and the Litterless Lunch and Esmeralda Planet Protector and the Electronic Wasters.  New supervillains, new missions, all in a day's work for Esmeralda and her sidekick Goober!

Sara Holt stars as Esmeralda Planet Protector

Ian Gschwind as the Blaster, who is trying to blow up Esmeralda.

Sara Holt also appears as Trashella, the queen of garbage.

Planet Protector kids are ready for action

Zero Heroes on Shaw TV

Check it out - great coverage from the sweet folks at The Express on Shaw TV. Our segment starts at 9:45. I especially love the kids singing to the camera as they leave the gym, "We're Zero Heroes! We've got the power!"

New Zero Heroes Play Draws Raves!

Well our 2010-11 season is upon us and we have another jam-packed season of environmental responsibility plays ahead!

Including our new show, Zero Heroes - a play about zero waste. Zero Heroes is playing to about 20,000 Metro Vancouver kids this year and it's rocking the house. Kids from kindergarten through grade seven are just loving it - as are the teachers!

One teacher wrote, in our online survey, "The kids just eat it up, and afterwards keep singing the catchy eco-songs from the play, so it's obvious that the message is getting through. The action steps are so do-able for children, and presented as a fun and important thing to do. It does change how they're thinking about environmental issues."

We're touring the show in Richmond, Delta, Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Moody and New Westminster - for free thanks to those municipal governments, as well as our development funders TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Real Estate Foundation of BC, Canada Council of the Arts, Hamber Foundation. Thanks to our awesome sponsors!

What a great year!

Our 2009-2010 season is over, and it's been fantastic! To grow even in such a difficult funding climate feels truly great. Here's our comic update on our goings-on:

New Esmeralda Superspy Planet Protector video!

Over twenty thousand kids have seen this video in school and on line in the first month it's been available!  Can Esmeralda Superspy Planet Protector and her sidekick Goober stop the Evil Dr. Carbon's dastardly plan to stop kids from walking to school? Join the quirky superhero Esmeralda as she braves any danger to protect the planet from harm. Also check out our fun behind-the-scenes clips!