Malala, Martin, Malcolm, Medgar & Lincoln

How do you organize 480 middle school students at the three-hour HeART Beat Festival / field day for the NYC Council Art as Catalyst for Change anti-gun violence initiative? Arrange 14 activity centers in five color coded zones named for community leaders impacted by gun violence: Malala Yousafzai, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and President Abraham Lincoln.

Thank you Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, and Members Donovan Richards, Adrienne Adams, and Jimmy Van Bramer for trusting us to celebrate the initiative with the great students of IS 42, PS/MS 183, IS 8, IS 72, IS 111, and IS 204. Special thanks to our collaborating arts education partners and staff from Museum of the Moving Image, the Black Spectrum Theatre, and Everybody Dance Now; fifteen teaching artists; five congregations that recruited such amazing volunteers; teachers and chaperones; DJ Tony Tone; Paradigm of Speak Lyfe Entertainment; graphic designer EMJ Squared, and producer extraordinaire Randy Mason.

How do you organize 480 middle school students at the 3-hr HeART Beat Festival / field day for the @nyccouncil #ArtAsCatalystForChange anti-gun violence initiative? Arrange 14 activity centers in five color coded zones named for community leaders impacted by gun violence. #malalayousafzai #mlk #malcolmx #medgarevers #abrahamlincoln . . . Thank you Council Speaker @coreyjohnsonnyc , Majority Leader @cmlauriecumbo , and Members @drichardsnyccouncil @adrienneforny @jimmyvanbramer for trusting us to celebrate the initiative with the great students of #IS42Q #PSMS183Q #IS8Q #IS72Q #IS111 #IS204. Special thanks to our collaborating arts education partners and staff from @movingimagenyc @blackspectrumofficial @everybody_dance_now, fifteen teaching artists, five congregations that recruited such amazing volunteers, teachers and chaperones, @djt2bks, @mrpcoles, graphic designer @emjsquared, and producer extraordinaire @randymasonmusic . . . #WeAreThrive #BringArtBack @nycschools @nyculture @nycservice @nycyouth @nycmayor

A post shared by Thrive Collective (@nycthrive) on Jun 1, 2018 at 7:24am PDT