This past October we received an email. This letter was from a community member, a mother, an activist looking for help. She was feeling the stress of quarantine and the election pressing down. She was looking for a way to combat the anxiety and fatigue brought on by such things. She turned to art.
Inspired by the song “March March” by The Chicks, she wanted to create a call to action for the community, encouraging everyone to vote in this election. She asked us for help, to develop a performance concept that would include all members of our community and safely unite us.
We dove right in. Through online surveys, ZOOM meetings, and rehearsals in the park, a performance began to take shape. With the help of community partners like The Print Shop in Holyoke and our sponsor, Local Burger, we were able to provide VOTE face masks for all involved. When the day came to film, we could not have been luckier. Crisp fall air and the beautiful backdrop of the Pines Theater made our work look even better.
The volunteer performers brought their energy and creativity to set, making our choreography even better with their emotion and commitment to the cause. Everyone present shared the collective desire to create something powerful that could remind us all how powerful our voices can be. With the film edited and ready for viewers, the team took to social media to share it far and wide.
And we did it! The #VOTE video was seen by more than 10,000 people from the US, Canada, and the UK. It streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and IGTV, and even made local news with features on Western Mass News and MassLive. This was a rallying call from our little corner of the globe, making performers and viewers alike inspired to create and use art for change. A few of the young performers even asked “so, what will our next video be about?”
And, well, I guess you will just have to wait and see…!
You can view the full video HERE.
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