THE DICKENS PROJECT

Arguably the first modern novelist, Charles Dickens' concern with social and environmental issues, urban crime, child abuse, poverty, and exploitation, makes him very much a writer for our own time, partly because he is so much a writer of his own time. The Victorian Period faced, and in some cases created, the same problems that concern us today. Through the study of Dickens, we engage in an ongoing social commentary that is still relevant. As a writer, Dickens is modern in his self-consciousness about the act of writing fiction. His novels explore aspects of the writer's dilemma in ways that invite new critical methods.

The Dickens Project combines the songs and stories of Victorian England and offers opportunities for artists and audiences to engage in complex and inclusive civic dialogue. The music and drama, at times vivid and revealing, provide direct links to our own time and to the social and political struggles we have overcome or continue to face. The goals of the Project are to produce great art and to engage community members about the interconnectedness between themselves, their collective stories, and the ongoing struggles of our society.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts has stepped out of a conventional theater role to become even more connected with its community. Through The Dickens Project, WICA strives to cultivate civic engagement, and to encourage an investment and ownership in local, regional, national, and global communities.

We invite you to review the following pages that describe, in detail, the scope and scale of The Dickens Project.












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