#beyondourwalls

On June 21st, BAX took part in an emerging tradition at PS 172: Multicultural Day. As part of the NYC Department of Education Office of Arts and Special Projects Arts & Family Engagement grant, the school, in partnership with BAX teaching artist Kate Bell, spent a day declaring and celebrating each other’s culture and the cultural diversity that the school’s student body holds. Students performed and presented research and creative projects about their own family’s cultural background. Parents, children and teachers came together in one room to share different cultural experiences with their grades.

Throughout the day, each respective grade came into the auditorium to take part in the program. The gathering would begin with a big cultural declaration, during which any student could come up to the microphone and name their cultural background (a powerful demonstration by the young people in today’s world). Following the sharing, Bell directed each grade in singing a song that she had taught them, “Multicultural is Cool.” Catchy and colorful, this song named different aspects of diversity as a unifying force. Echoing throughout the room, students sang “we may sometimes speak/different languages or eat different foods/all our cultures come together and make/this amazing school.” Following the chorus, the song’s verse gave individual students an opportunity to highlight different aspects of their own culture; be it something they eat, a holiday they celebrate, clothing they wear or a language they speak. Individual students on stage would dance as everyone sang about a part of that child’s culture.

Although BAX is located in Park Slope, our Arts in Education program has reached Sunset Park for over 15 years through PS 24. The neighborhood houses a Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican and Arab community, most of whom are first and second generation immigrant families. Witnessing these and many other cultures coming together to raise each other up is exemplary for all schools, in this city and beyond. Especially during such a tumultuous political climate against immigrants, giving kids the opportunity to not only learn how to define and understand what culture is, but to also identify it for themselves and celebrate what it is to them, is a powerful and affirming move.

PS 172 has been engaging in Multicultural Day for a couple years now. Founded by the school’s Arts Liaison and Dance Educators Concert Coordinator, Emily Todras, the program develops more every year.  As part of this year’s program, Bell came into the school on several consecutive Saturdays starting in October of 2017 to hold workshops with parents and children. During these Saturday mornings, Bell facilitated activities that helped K-5th graders to “define what we mean when we say culture.” Culture is a many-faceted thing; it affects so many aspects of our lives and it dynamically defines different parts of us. We should celebrate those parts, and share them with one another.

BAX and PS 172 have a long-standing relationship through after-school programs facilitated by BAX teaching artists. This project has deepened that relationship, and hopefully this partnership will continue to expand and grow. There is potential here for a longer term in-school residency, during which more work and discovery like this could be done throughout the school year.