GBH Summer Newsletter: New Workshop Series, Show Recaps & More! ⭐
Dear Friends of Girl Be Heard,
I hope that this summer season has brought you time to retreat and reflect as we collectively forge a powerful path forward in our world during these turbulent times. As we move through the remainder of an uncertain year, I continue to be inspired and uplifted by the compelling voices of our community, supporters and participants, whose art and activism lead us continuously towards deeper truths and radical change.
With the virtual world becoming our new reality, we were beyond thrilled to successfully execute our end-of-year show season last month. Hundreds of you joined us for our Zoom and social media premieres, where our 2019-2020 participants shared incredible ensemble pieces as a culmination of their year with Girl Be Heard. These experiences simply would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our talented youth, Teaching Artists and staff teams who collaborated to bring many visions to life.
We are invigorated to keep this energy going while we expand our programs and launch new, exciting ones. From filmmaking and writing to engaging workshops series' and more - we can't wait to stay virtually connected and committed to the youth we serve. And during a time when we cannot afford to be silent, we will continue to be unwavering, fearless advocates for social justice while amplifying the voices of the next generation. Let's keep moving onward and upward.
Warmly,
Chiwoniso and the GBH Team
Introducing: Be! Summer Series
Join our summer workshop series where participants will have a unique opportunity to learn new skills, healing practices, creative outlets, and community building. We bring you a new workshop series where you can explore and discover how to Be! different versions of yourself! Open to all youth between the ages of 12-21.
What We’ve Been Up To
Mainstage 2020: Citizen Be Heard Recap
This year's Mainstage Show Citizen Be Heard was a huge success! We can't thank you enough for supporting this year's show that explored ways to cultivate a civic consciousness and make a difference in the life of our communities. Our talented Mainstage Cast took a stand and advocated for a decent & fair quality of life in their communities using spoken word, short scenes and song.
Surprise Message from Alicia Keys!
Our Mainstage Cast and audience members were beyond thrilled to receive a very special surprise message of inspiration, encouragement and praise from the incredibly talented musician, singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Alicia Keys!
"I am so proud to support Girl Be Heard building future leaders through art, storytelling, and theatre. It's amazing because art does change the world and it does impact people. This was a beautiful show - continue to blow our minds!"
More Year-End Show Recaps!
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for all of our virtual end-of-year shows!
Our Manhattan Sunday Workshop debuted The New (Ab)Normal, the Bronx Sunday Workshop showcased their social media premiere of As We Are, and our Girl Be Heard Trinidad & Tobago cohort presented Unplugged: Lovin' Up Mehself.
Congrats to Jamilah, Camryn, & Meera!
We'd like to highlight three of our incredible Girl Be Heard performers for their exceptional contributions during these times. In celebration of Juneteenth, Jamilah organized and hosted a #BlackLivesMatter event in her local community, where she helped amplify the voices of young black youth and promoted voter registration. Camryn & Meera represented GBH at the firstannual Global Cyber Peace Conference, where they virtually performed their powerful poetry in honor of this year's conference theme: Envisioning the World after The Great Pause.
We Demand #Justice
Girl Be Heard's commitment to social justice is reflected in our mission and vision of a world where Black voices are heard clearly and powerfully to influence and effect change. We are demanding justice through swift and judicious legal reform and policy-making across all facets of our society.
A Warm Welcome to Aruna & Lily!
We are excited to welcome two new Girl Be Heard Board Members who'll be joining our exciting movement to build young leaders and activists!
Aruna Cadambi is a manager with PwC’s Responsible Business Leadership team. In her role, she is focused on activating the power of 55,000 partners and staff through meaningful skills-based pro bono experiences with nonprofits addressing social injustice in its many forms across the United States. Her strong belief in the importance of holding space for others and of allowing diverse voices to be heard brought her to Girl Be Heard.
Lily Chang is the director of development at Lawyers Alliance, an attorney, writer, civil rights advocate, and seasoned nonprofit development professional. She is passionate about gender and racial justice and believes deeply in the transformative power of the arts and storytelling to impact culture and change hearts and minds. Prior to Lawyers Alliance, Lily was the Director of Development and Communications at Girl Be Heard for five years, where she helped to build resources and capacity.
Building Youth Resilience & Staying Connected
We are honored and grateful for all of the support received from near and far throughout this very uncertain year. While we continue to expand in the virtual space, we invite you to help us stay as committed and connected to our youth as possible.
Small gestures like joining our monthly donor program, attending shows, or amplifying our work on social media allows Girl Be Heard to continue youth programming throughout NYC and beyond, thus transforming lives through social justice theatre-making and the arts.
Stay tuned for upcoming information on our 2020 auditions!
Join The Movement!
We're currently hiring! Click here to apply to our Director of Development position.