Storycatchers Theatre is a nonprofit organization in Chicago, Illinois that serves detained, incarcerated and otherwise marginalized adolescents with creative youth development programs. Storycatchers engages groups of adolescents in the process of writing, producing and performing original one-act musicals inspired by their own personal stories. Meade Palidofsky founded the company in 1984 and has served as its Artistic Director since its inception.
Storycatchers delivers its programs in partnerships that include the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Columbia College Chicago, Holsten Human Capital Development, the Chicago Park District, the North Region Aftercare Field Services Office, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Programs include Fabulous Females, for girls incarcerated at the Illinois Youth Center (IYC)-Warrenville, Firewriters for boys at IYC-Chicago, Temporary LockDown for boys at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and the Teens Together Playwriting and Summer Touring Ensembles for Chicago-area high school students. Most recently, the company added a jobs program for recently released young people called Changing Voices, which employs formerly detained or incarcerated youth in coordination with the newly formed Aftercare Services.
Storycatchers received a 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Meade Palidofsky accepted the award from First Lady Michelle Obama in a ceremony at the White House in November 2013.