We firmly believe in the enduring educational benefits of theater and we want to make it accessible for all. Educational programming and mentorship are personal for us, because we also attended under resourced urban schools and free community arts programs, internships and mentorships were our lifeline.  

From our free workshops and mentorship programs, to our full scale productions offered at low-ticket prices, we nurture the next generation of theater artists and attract diverse audiences.

Click here to apply and for more information about our 2026 program which runs April 6th-10th.
Interested in being a (paid!) student leader - click here.
Interested in being a Teaching Artist - click here.
Contact Maya at outreach.coco@gmail.com to book a presentation at your school and/or learn more!

Workshop curriculum and mentorship focus on developing observational skills and amplifying students’ voices. Theater promotes an awareness of others' experiences and offers a hands-on means of developing empathy. Lessons learned extend far beyond the workshop and mentorship period.

We forge an ongoing community dialogue through our Play Hotel series of workshops, open rehearsals, free readings, and free and discount tickets to our world premiere productions.

A few of the recent success stories we’d like to highlight:

Vanessa Peréda-Felix interned on Colt Coeur’s production of Zürich in 2018 and was hired to co-lead the Education Initiative in 2020. She is also newly a company member and one of the mentors in the Mentorship Program.

Sidikha Ashraf interned on Colt Coeur’s production of Eureka Day in 2019 and put her double major in public health and theater (Wellesley ‘19) to use when she assembled a panel of public health experts and moderated a post-show talkback with them. Sidikha’s work with Colt Coeur helped open doors leading to a full-time artistic position with the New Group in the 2019-2020 season.

Ian Saint-Germain was a student in Colt Coeur’s 2016 Education Initiative and performed in the 2018 world premiere of Lindsey Ferrentino’s This Flat Earth at Playwrights Horizons. (This Flat Earth was also featured in Colt Coeur’s Parity Plays Festival!)

Curious about our annual Education Initiative free theatre camp?
Check out more videos and read on below!

DUE TO the covid-19 pandemic, we offerED our 2020-2022 programs virtually. We returnED to in-person camp in april 2023!

Company members and theatre professionals serve as the Teaching Artists for this free annual play-making intensive which we typically offer NYC public school students ages 11-15 during the NYC public school Spring break. Student alums of the program return as paid Student Leaders and professional actors and playwrights serve as our Teaching Artists. Our 2025 program is led by Maya Smoot (email: outreach.coco@gmail.com).

Our Mentorship Program launched in the summer of 2020 and connects professional actors, playwrights and designers with BIPOC alumni of the Education Initiative. If you are interested in being a Mentor please email coltcoeur@gmail.com. You must participate in the annual Education Initiative ‘theater camp’ to be eligible to be a Mentee.

PAST WORKSHOPS


Watch our video documenting our 2020 program here!

Go behind the scenes at COLT COEUR's 9TH ANNUAL FREE WEEK-LONG PLAY-MAKING WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS AGES 11-15! WHO: NYC public school students who have an interest in acting, writing, and/or visual design are invited to participate. WHAT: Students work with professional actors, playwrights, directors and designers to conceive and create original 10-minute plays, which will be presented at the conclusion of the 6-day workshop. WHEN: The program will meet Monday-Friday, February 18th-22nd from 10am to 2pm, and from 4pm-8pm on Monday, February 25th, 2019. Students MUST attend all six days of the program in order to enroll. WHERE: DUMBO, Brooklyn. Convenient to: A/C, F, & 2/3 subways. HOW MUCH: Free! We also provide a light snack for students each day. There will be a free presentation for friends and family 
at 6:30pm on Monday, February 25th at JACK Theater in Clinton Hill. HOW DO I APPLY? We have never turned a student away however all students must submit an application. Contact Adrienne at CoCoPlaymaking@gmail.com to learn more.
Educational programming is personal for us, because we also attended under resourced urban schools and free community arts programs were our lifeline. From our free workshops to our full scale productions offered at low-ticket prices, we nurture the next generation of theater artists and attract diverse audiences. We forge an ongoing community dialogue through our Play Hotel series of workshops, open rehearsals, & free readings. This program is made possible with public funds from the State of New York, the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered in Kings County by Brooklyn Arts Council; and the New York City Department Of Cultural Affairs In Partnership With The City Council.
WHO: NYC public school students who have an interest in acting, writing, and/or visual design are invited to participate in Colt Coeur's Annual Education Initiative offered free-of-charge during the NYC public school spring break. WHAT: Students work with professional actors, playwrights, directors and designers to conceive and create original 10-minute plays, which will be presented at the conclusion of the 6-day workshop. WHERE: ART/NY Studios, 138 South Oxford Street, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, 11217 Convenient to: B, C, D, G, N, R, Q, 2, 3, 4, 5. HOW MUCH: Free! We will also provide a light snack for students. Educational programming is personal for us, because we also attended under resourced urban schools and free community arts programs were our lifeline. From our free workshops to our full scale productions offered at low-ticket prices, we nurture the next generation of theater artists and attract diverse audiences. We forge an ongoing community dialogue through our Play Hotel series of workshops, open rehearsals, & free readings. This program is made possible with public funds from the State of New York, the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered in Kings County by Brooklyn Arts Council; and the New York City Department Of Cultural Affairs In Partnership With The City Council. A bit of history: Only in the theater can you create something out of literally nothing. Colt Coeur was founded in January 2010 and is a company of actors, writers, directors and designers. In just six years -- Colt Coeur has been lauded by The New York Times with the broad recognition “these guys have chops” and the New York Post and Time Out have called our work “pitch perfect” and “wildly charming.” We’ve created three original plays (Seven Minutes in Heaven by Steven Levenson, Fish Eye by Lucas Kavner, and How to Live on Earth, by MJ Kaufman) in our uniquely collaborative style, and produced the world premieres of Recall by Eliza Clark, Everything is Ours, by Nikole Beckwith, Dry Land, by Ruby Rae Spiegel, How to Live on Earth, by MJ Kaufman, and Cal in Camo, by William Francis Hoffman.

Teacher? Student? Parent?
Email outreach.coco@gmail.com
to learn more about these free programs.

The Colt Coeur Education Initiative is made possible by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; the Axe-Houghton Foundation, the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, and the Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust.

DONATE NOW!