"First Night" Reception and Activities

With enthusiasm, it is our pleasure to share you details about CDI's exciting new collaboration with the Arts of Imagination Foundation (AOIF) and 11:11 PROJECTS to bring the first-hand experience of viewing fine art to children and families in the underserved community of Reseda and surrounding neighborhoods.

AOIF recently commissioned artist, William Rochfort - whose work is becoming highly collectible and is in a number of private collections across the world - to create "First Night" an epic, large-scale oil painting that captures the magic, energy, and incredible imaginative power of the first-ever performance of M. M. Barrie's immortal Peter Pan at London's Duke of York's Theatre in 1904.

THE LEGEND: Christmas, 1904. Word on the street in Londa was that playwright J. M. Barrie had lost his mind. His latest play, people whispered, featured - of all things - pirates, indians, flying children, and a vengeful crocodile. Rehearsals had been a technical disaster, and the opening was delayed five times. When stuffy Victorian audiences finally came to the Duke of York's Theatre for the very first performance of PETER PAN on December 27, 1904, it was with serious trepidation. According to theatrical legend, at the last minute, Barrie arranged for 25 seats to be given to a local orphan's home. Buoyed by the ecstatic reaction of its most youthful audience members, the evening was a triumph. Children believed and adults remembered how to be children. From that evening - and forever more - PETER PAN instantly became one of the world's most beloved and enduring stories.

Engaging in fine arts both enriches children's individual growth and acts as a powerful conduit for connecting and strengthening local communities - which is direly needed as we heal and recover from the pandemic. Yet frequently, children in underserved communities do not have the same exposure to and engagement in fine arts as their peers in wealthier areas.

During this event, CDI and 11:11 PROJECTS will join the artist of "First Night", Will Rochfort, and AOIF's Executive Director, Brady Schwind, for a series of rich discussions and activities that center around the importance of art in children's development and how it impacts creativity throughout their lifespan. Activities - all provided at no charge to our community - will take place at CDI's Early Learning Center (ELC) in Reseda.

Will Rochfort Event

By Child Development Institute

Will Rochfort Event