Educators and students are speaking out against the plan to move an experiential theatre program out of the Wood Street Centre this year.

“My recommendation would be to have every parent pull their kid from the program, because it’s not going to fly,” Jeff Nordlund, founder of the Music, Art and Drama (MAD) theatre program, told the Star this morning.

Last Thursday afternoon, the Department of Education announced its plan for the 2020-21 school year.

To enable physical spacing, Grade 8 students from F.H. Collins Secondary School will attend classes in the Wood Street Centre.

All experiential programs, including MAD and the outdoor education program, will move into available space at F.H. Collins and Porter Creek Secondary Schools.

MAD is an alternative learning program for students in Grades 9 to 12 with a focus on drama, stagecraft, music and dance.

Public outcry has emerged on social media since the announcement was made. A Facebook group, “Stop the MAD Program move,” saw 281 members join over the weekend.

Students, parents and MAD alumni have posted to the page, criticizing the decision to relocate the program.

There is discussion of starting a petition, and several people say they’ve already contacted the Yukon government with their concerns. 

Nordlund, who has been retired since 2017, founded MAD 27 years ago, and says moving the program won’t work.

The Wood Street Centre – formerly Christ the King Elementary School – is equipped with a lighting grid and theatre lighting system; sound system; configurable risers and extensive set supplies.

The gymnasium is home to a black box theatre that was built incrementally over 10 years.

MAD students present an average of three major performances in the theatre every year.

“I wonder if the (Education department) and government officials are even aware of the financial investment that is involved in this fantastic performance space,” Nordlund said in a post to the Facebook group.

Part of MAD’s power is that it operates outside of a traditional high school, Nordlund told the Star.

Students find creative freedom in a private environment with their peers, without the social pressures that exist in a large school.

“Nobody thinks about the power of the program, and the reason it operates that way is because it’s at Wood Street,” Nordlund said.

The program founder says the Wood Street Centre creates an alternative learning environment that can’t be replicated at another location.

“Kids are moving about all day doing dance, choreography, they are acting on stage, people are doing tech while some people are doing costumes and then we’re rehearsing for shows,” Nordlund said.

The MAD program uses three classrooms on the upper floor of Wood Street Centre. Nordlund argues that these classrooms are suitable for MAD students, but won’t work for the Grade 8 students slated to study there.

He estimates that seven Wood Street classrooms will only fit 12 to 15 students each, and many of the centre’s other rooms are currently jam-packed with costumes, set supplies and outdoor education gear. 

This year, 135 Grade 8 students will attend classes in the Wood Street Centre, according to the Education department.

“Moving the Grade 8 classes from F.H. Collins to the Wood Street Centre will minimize the disruption for these 135 students,” Education Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee said in an email.

Nordlund questions why Grade 8 students aren’t moved directly to Porter Creek, if there’s space there, rather than forcing two student shuffles.

If Education officials had discussed the move with students and staff, he said, a different decision may have been made.

“There was no consultation whatsoever –– it came down from somewhere upstairs.”

Nordlund also noted that realistically, a theatre program cannot continue with physical distancing rules.

Students most likely can’t put on theatrical productions while staying two metres apart, he said.

“If you’re going to call a spade a spade, shut everything down,” Nordlund said.

MAD alumna and NDP Leader Kate White told the Star this morning she was disappointed with the lack of consultation before deciding to move the program.

“I think it’s short-sighted,” White said.

“I can’t believe this decision was made without talking to the administrators of that program; what we see is government not recognizing that they’ve invested money into retrofitting that school to work.”

White said not enough consideration has been given to MAD’s theatre space requirements.

“An experiential program is set up in a different way from traditional classrooms,” White noted.

“Saying you’re just going to move this program to a standard school is not recognizing all the work and all the research –– it’s been running many years, so the understanding of what works for that type of learning –– it just won’t work.”

White added that a plan needs to be made for protecting the theatre and equipment in the Wood Street Centre if a shift is going to take place.

She noted that the gymnasium is not set up to host regular physical education classes for the Grade 8 students, as that’s where the black box theatre is set up.

“How do we protect that equipment and that investment?” White asked.

She said the announcement of the school plan has left many questions unanswered for families.

McPhee responded to the backlash with the email statement to the Star this morning.

“We are pleased that the experiential programs, including MAD, will remain available to students,” McPhee said.

She said plans and preparation for the program’s move are ongoing, but all equipment and supplies will be transported to the new locations.

“The health and safety of staff and students is our top priority as we plan to have students return to class for the 2020-21 school year,” McPhee wrote.

“The focus of our preliminary planning is ensuring as many students as possible return to full day in-class instruction. 

“To meet the health and safety guidance for schools, support safe spacing, and manage traffic flows in schools, some school programming needs to be temporarily relocated for the 2020-21 school year.”

Finalized school operation plans will be shared with students and families before the beginning of the school year, McPhee said.