Just a quick note— Nephelie and I are in Queens for a couple days, learning about Queens College and the immediate area.
We went to Community House: Pomonock (PA-muh-NOK), a community center that serves the Pomonock Public Housing complex. Community House has a bunch of similar centers in other Queens neighborhoods. But Pomonck is right across the street from QC and was a place that Meghan had mentioned as a possible connection point with the off-campus community.
We walked in just to have a look around and the guy who manages the place just started talking with us right away. We had a good, short conversation. He mentioned that he’d just gotten an email from a theater company about a similar project— it was from the Community Engagement Coordinator at Working Theater.
Working Theater has had a 5 Boroughs/One City project for awhile— we’ve had 3 or 4 people who’ve worked on it come to our 2DIs. And they have a Queens play in performance next month:
As I was researching Pomonok a bit I had been intrigued to learn about another, adjacent planned community started by the local electricians union. Working Theater’s project is focused on this part of the community, Electchester.
Anyway, it’s interesting. Thinking about whether or not to reach out to Working Theater about our project, or more likely when. Nepehlie will try to see the play.
The best thing though was talking with Pat at Community House Pomonok. He was cautious, interested, intrigued and welcoming. I was really glad that i finally finished a decent 1-sheet to share with people in the community because he started taking it in right away. Before we left he was telling Nephelie about how this kind of thing has the potential to strengthen communities.
I hope we can get him on board.
Excited to see more of Queens tomorrow and have lunch with playwright Cusi at Dumpling Galaxy!
love,
Paula d
[ scramble back through past received emails... ]
Wed, Jan 31, 2018, Chelsea - Institute alum from 2009, friend & artist/teaching artist -- wrote:
... I've been hearing about the institute this summer in Queens and just wanted to check in to say that I'm so excited that is happening, and I'd love to work with you all and/or support the process in any way I can. Will you please let me know if you think of any way I could be of service to the institute? There are many ways I could help out as a long-time resident of NYC with a strong network of arts, education and community-based organizations. I'm actually working on a community-engaged theater project in Queens this spring, so I've been getting more well acquainted with the borough in preparation for that! ... I look forward to having you all out here, and to NYC experiencing the magic of a Cornerstone project!
...the community we're working in (Electchester/Pomonok Houses) is in Flushing right by Queens College, so I'm getting to know the history of that area now. This is my first time doing community-engaged work in Queens b/c my NYC-based work has been in Brooklyn/Manhattan/Bronx, so I'm excited to get to know Queens a little better!
From what I understand, the divide between Electchester and Pomonok is primarily about race and class dynamics- Electchester was founded by an electrician's union that is still dominated by white-identified folks whereas Pomonok functions as public housing for primarily people of color. Pomonok was not always predominantly POC, as you will see in the film Pomonok Dreams but it is now.
Queens is an amazing borough, and Flushing in particular has such a richness of culture and story.
Nephelie saw a performance of Alternating Currents in April. Here is an article about it.
Some thoughts from Nephelie, after seeing the performance and a talkback:
The talk back
was interesting, time for audience to process and share their feelings about
the play. Got to have a long conversation afterwards with a resident of
Electchester who is not part of the union. She had a lot to say! The stories,
and frictions between these two communities here run deep. Complicated feelings
about how “those people they let in” have changed how things are, about all
those immigrants who keep to themselves and don’t want to integrate with
others.
Alternating
Currents dealt with many of these
issues, specifically about issues of racism in the Electchester community, as
well as expectations of what it means to be part of a community, assimilation,
fitting in, shared values, neighborliness, family.
Here is an hour-long discussion /conversation about Working Theater's city-wide project. If you're interested.
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