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“PASC lifts up and makes visible powerful stories--the telling of which transforms the performer; the listening to which brings new perspective. CTA has been honored to support PASC and looks forward to watching this vital program grow into a vibrant organization.” - Anke Wessels PhD Executive Director, Center for Transformative Action |
creating opportunities for transformation and proactive change via the arts
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"When I was young I wanted to change the world and make it a better place to be. Over time I realized I didn't need to be famous or powerful to affect change. I could work to effect change in my corner of the world and I noticed that corner changed each time I moved to a new location. That's something we all can do. Work to make positive change in your corner of the world." -Cynthia Henderson, founder of PASC |
the social contract
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Performing Arts for Social Change hosted a two-night dialogue between Ithaca Police Department officers, Mayor Svante Myrick, and members of the Ithaca community. Facilitated by our very own, Cynthia Henderson, the dialogue was meant to establish police and community expectations in the future via "The Social Contract." The panelists focused on unpacking the complicated relationship between Ithaca’s minority communities and the police — as well as the national conversation on policing. She encourages community members who have ideas and expectations to contribute them and help the contract grow into something that eventually effects policy change. |
Spectrum News
"Speaking Our Truth" Teaser
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As part of a writing workshop created and facilitated by Performing Arts for Social Change, working with students at Boynton Middle School, "Speaking Our Truth" highlights the highs and lows of middle school life, as well as the meaningful lessons we learn along the way. The production of the play was postponed because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The full play will be produced at Boynton Middle School at a later time, when schools can safely re-open. This video cannot be used without permission from Performing Arts for Social Change, or the Ithaca City School District.
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2020 Juneteenth Cabaret
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Join Black Fems United on their Juneteenth Cabaret this June 19th at 7pm, ET! If you would like to attend, please follow the link below to make a donation of at least $5 to one of the following organizations: The Doonie Fund, The Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative, or Women for Political Change Political Action Fund. Please make sure to include your email and to specify which organization you want to support when placing your donation. https://givebutter.com/Y7Wycr/kathleenmulligan |
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On Monday April 16, 2018, the day after the closing of the Ithaca High School production of "Hairspray," a very diverse group of people, who would rarely even talk to one another, came together in the chorus room of Ithaca High School for four (4) very intense hours. 29 students, 4 teachers, 2 ICSD administrators and 1 school board member, dropped their guards and did some heavy emotional and practical lifting. Through the genre of theatre this group acted out, wrote, spoke, listened and explored difficult truths about broken trust, racial bias, privilege, profiling, micro-aggressions and institutional racism. The diversity of the group spanned race, gender identity, age, socio-economic position, sexual orientation, ethnicity and nationality. There were athletes, actors, artists, musicians, academics, teachers and administrators. Facilitating the workshop was Cynthia Henderson assisted by Harmony Malone and Ithaca College students Chris, Anu, Christian, Kimberly, Liz, Erin and Emily. The truths spoken and listened to were sometimes hard to experience for the participants. There were moments of tears and anger. They held the space and listened to each other. These same people who would pass each other in the hallways with barely a glance, were paired up to debrief after exercises and would engage with an understanding of the shared experience. There were smiles shared and then they'd write. Then they'd stand and deliver. The groups were constantly mixing. A student who didn't want to be near an administrator ended up in deep workshop conversation with one and then they did an exercise together that surprised them both. The superintendent stopped by to check in but soon found himself actively participating in a privilege exercise and break out group conversation. Each revelation, each poem, each wish, each experience, was carefully gathered by the PASC team. At the end the school board member shared with the group that those workshop participants that stepped forward to form the Work Group, would be a part of creating new policy for the ICSD. The work they did this night would be used by the Work Group to create a Working Agreement that will be implemented at Ithaca High School, in order to actively address the institutional racial bias that has cultivated a segregated school community. That set of working agreements would then be brought to the school board and be developed into accountable policy for the ICSD. The workshop was advertised to and open to the entire Ithaca High School community. No one was turned away. Those who chose to participate soon recognized that the work they did this night would have a policy level impact on their school community for years to come. At the end of the workshop, as they sat surrounded by their work, they each reflected on what they'd done. Then they asked "when will our work be typed up and distributed?" and a student asked "When do we start the work group?" By Friday #TeamPASC will distribute the work they did to all of the workshop participants. The rest is up to them. It is our sincere hope that a diverse selection of students, teachers and administrators come together soon. The community is hungry for positive and proactive change in the ICSD as it relates, to racial bias and profiling. Phase 1 and Phase 2 are done. On to Phase 3 of Ithaca High School's journey toward true inclusion. PASC is honored to have been a small part of that journey.
PASC's Rachael Langton, mentors
LGBTQ student project
Tamar Shapiro-Tamir and Rachael Langton
Tamar researches for her play
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PASC's Rachael Langton, a BA Theatre Studies major in Ithaca College's Department of Theatre Arts, is mentoring a script development project with Lehman Alternative Community School student Tamar Shapiro-Tamir. Langton, whose creative focus is playwriting, assisted Saviana Stanescu in the creation of the play Trust (Photos page). Tamar Shapiro-Tamir, a student at LACS is developing a play which focuses on the LGBTQ Youth. She describes her coming out story as well as the things she wishes were discussed when she was coming out. Tamar states; "When I was coming out, even though my home is Ithaca, the most liberal of liberal towns, I still often felt isolated. It would have meant the world for me to be able to speak to another girl about the experience of loving a girl." Her play focuses on growing up and discovering your identity and sexuality within a confusing world that poses many questions. Her goal with this play is to allow the up-and-coming-out generation of queer teens to let go of the cliche, and realize that they are not alone. The first draft of the play will be ready within a few weeks, and Langton will guide the development of the play into a staged reading by March 2016! |
