TORONTO, May 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Education Arts Canada’s ‘One Deep Breath’ initiative is headed to York-Simcoe region elementary schools with a series of fun, new live musicals providing students in grades 4-6+ with the tools to tackle mental health challenges around this CMHA Mental Health Week.  

‘One Deep Breath’ is a series of thought-provoking mental health musicals and teaching resources designed to help youth deal with mental health challenges of their own, appropriate for grades 4-6 and up.  This exciting initiative was created by Juno award-winning composers, producers and performers Judy & David Gershon and by Canadian director, writer, producer Ali Joy Richardson, under the guidance of a team of accredited mental health professionals. The program includes unforgettable in-school performances coupled with engaging teacher resource materials to extend the learning throughout the entire year.  It reaches tens of thousands of schoolchildren every year and has received rave reviews from educators across Canada.  

The ‘One Deep Breath’ series consists of various different and unique live musicals including “The Secret Life of Riley K” (mental health, anxiety) and “Jay VS the World” (emotional regulation, bullying).

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) (www.otf.ca) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations.  OTF awarded more than $120 million to some 700 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.

Education Arts Canada (www.educationarts.ca) is a registered not-for-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario working with thousands of teacher partners and community groups to bring more music and theatre into the lives of Canadian children. Their fun, interactive programs actively engage children and make them part of the experience. Comprehensive resource materials turn a day of inspiration into ongoing opportunity for discovery and growth. Last season, over 70,000 students and teachers participated directly in Education Arts Canada programs, with many more indirectly benefitting.

Judy & David (www.judyanddavid.com) are a Juno Award-Winning husband & wife team who have been making music since 1991. They have numerous TV credits to their name and promote live concerts in and around the Greater Toronto Area. They launched their career with the release of their first concert, ‘Jumpin' Up & Down’ and the multi-million selling ‘My Little Yellow Bus’ collection. They are best known for their former TV series, ‘Judy & David's Boom Box’ on Treehouse TV in Canada and ‘JiggiJump’ on CBC Kids. They are also the co-founders of Education Arts Canada.

Ali Joy Richardson (www.alijoyrichardson.com) Ali Joy Richardson is a theatre director, writer, and producer in Toronto dedicated to telling new and underrepresented stories. Originally from Nova Scotia, she is Artistic Producer of Toronto's Paprika Festival which provides year-round theatre training and professional mentorship to young artists (now in its 17th year). She is also Director in Residence at Canadian Stage.

For further information:
Lowell Schrieder
LSPR Inc.
(647) 204-4327
lowell@lspr.ca
www.lspr.ca