FST Partners With Tidewell Hospice To Provide Online Summer Camp For Youth Processing Grief

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) and Tidewell Hospice proudly announce that the two not-for-profit organizations will partner to offer the Blue Butterfly Camp-a two-week summer theatre program for bereaved youth.

Connected to Tidewell Hospice's Blue Butterfly Family Grief Center, the camp is designed to give children experiencing grief a safe, supportive space to explore and express their emotions. From July 21 to August 1, FST's education staff will work online with students ages 9-12. A counselor from Tidewell's Blue Butterfly program will be present each day to provide additional support. The camp will be provided free of cost to participating families, made possible thanks to support from the Barancik Foundation and the Tidewell Foundation, Inc.

"Being able to offer our Blue Butterfly children a way to process their feelings and share what's going on in their hearts through expressive arts is such a gift," said Danielle Visone, the Family Grief Program Specialist at the Blue Butterfly Family Grief Center. "I hope each child can find their voice during this camp and be heard."

In 2018, more than 8,000 children in Sarasota and Manatee Counties were touched by the death of a significant person in their life. Experiencing this type of loss puts children at a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety, often leading to self-destructive behaviors.

"The Blue Butterfly program is deeply personal to me," said Kate Alexander, Founder of The FST School. "The program was born from the experience of a former student, who was facing the potential loss of his sister. His mother called us and said, 'We trust the theatre. It is a place he can feel anything he needs to without judgment or correction.' The Blue Butterfly Theatre Program became a place where youth facing trauma could experience and process a myriad of feelings-joys and sorrows. It gave participants the opportunity to give voice to those feelings through artistic expression."

Alexander will create and oversee the program, incorporating elements of improvisation, music, acting, and dance into the curriculum. The camp's design will encourage students to connect with authentic emotions and build self-confidence. Additionally, students will have time to talk about their experiences each day with one another, as well as a counselor from Tidewell.

The two nonprofits piloted a similar program for teens in 2016, nurturing students' creativity and self-expression over the course of six weeks.

"We are thrilled to be renewing our partnership with Florida Studio Theatre, which was the genesis of the original Blue Butterfly program," said Kenneth Kenzie, Tidewell's VP of Grief Education and Support. "It had a tremendous positive impact on our community. We look forward to continuing with this partnership for years to come."

The Blue Butterfly Camp will take place virtually over Zoom from July 21 to August 1. The camp is designated specifically for children experiencing grief and will be free of cost for enrolled students. For more information about the camp, please contact FST's PR Associate Lydia Baxter at Lbaxter@floridastudiotheatre.org and Tidewell Foundation's Communications Manager Lindsey Nickel de la O at Lnickeldelao@tidewellfoundation.org.

If you know someone who could benefit from grief support with Blue Butterfly, contact Family Grief Program Specialist Danielle Visone, MSW, LCSW, at 941-893-6610 or dvisone@tidewell.org.