Participants in a theatre arts program for vulnerable youth have created their own music, text, choreography, and scene work for a free public performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 11, in the Hatch Studio Theatre, Jackman Dramatic Art Centre.

Coinciding with the rise of the Pokémon Go frenzy, Changing the Odds: Community Transformation through the Arts has arrived at the School of Dramatic Art at the perfect time.

The program is helping participants, teens aged 12 to 18, find balance in the way they communicate with themselves and others. It encourages the growth of advocates and leaders in the community by addressing issues that affect everyone.

This year, the company is using drama to investigate the question “How do we find balance in an ever-changing technological world?” Members have worked with UWindsor students under the direction of creative coordinator, drama professor Meaghen Quinn, and guest artists in a variety of disciplines.