AfterEd recently attended an evening of short plays performed by a group of senior citizens and students from the Millennium Art Academy in the Bronx. 

The performances and artwork depicted real-life stories from the lives of the elders – stories of marching and being arrested in the civil rights movement, of surviving the German bombing of London in 1941, of facing housing discrimination here in the New York metro area, and much more.

In this video, the students and elders speak poignantly about the power of sharing their stories and the bonds they forged throughout the project. 

The plays were part of a once-a-week course that complemented the regular US History class – something the school calls the Millennium Pearl Initiative.  Students and senior citizens got together each week and shared their own oral histories, and then created artwork and short plays based on these histories.

The Millennium Pearl Initiative is just one way that the Millennium Art Academy integrates seniors into its programs.  Visit their web page for more info. 

Millennium Art Academy partnered with an organization called Elders Share the Arts in their work on this project. 

The co-teachers of this course were Heather Waters, Haymee Salas of Millennium Art Academy , and visiting artist Elana Bell.

The performance was hosted by Haven Arts, a gallery in the South Bronx.