Working in DC: Something To Point To
Virtual Workshops and Theatre Performance Will Bring Labor Issues into D.C. Classrooms
Something To Point To is an educational and community initiative aimed at developing a deeper connection to worker identity and the dignity of work and a clearer understanding of the history of the labor movement and its legacy today. Aligned with Working In DC, this project is an extension of a public musical theatre performance, elevating the profile of the working class through the power of the arts in collaboration with the Labor Heritage Foundation. The purpose of this project is to use arts as an engagement tool to increase awareness of labor and working class issues for students of all ages and the wider Washington, DC community. Something To Point To encourages Middle and High school students to learn about and reflect upon work as a valuable contribution and something they can be proud to point to!
Opportunities for Educators
Virtual Workshops for Middle and High School
Middle and high school educators in in D.C. public and public charter schools can host a one-hour virtual workshop aligned to the themes of Working: A Musical between now and September 19, 2021.
During this one hour workshop with two members of the cast and crew of Working In DC, students will discuss how Working: A Musical was developed from interviews with real workers throughout the United States. We will explore the origin and purpose of unions, the AFL-CIO (middle school), and the intersections between labor and social justice, using the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom as a frame (high school). At the end of the workshop, students will listen to and analyze an excerpt from the show and work collaboratively to re-write the lyrics or utilize another creative output to incorporate contemporary themes of labor.
Attend a special performance of Working: A Musical FOR EDUCATORS on Friday, September 3 at 7:30PM
With a celebratory performance at Black Lives Matter Plaza on the streets of D.C. and by sharing “the extraordinary dreams of ordinary people” through the lens of history, justice, activism, and the arts, Working In DC brings the spirit of the legendary Studs Terkel to life for the Washington, D.C. community. Proudly presented in collaboration with Labor Heritage Foundation, this project uplifts the working class during our pivotal time of racial justice reckoning, COVID-19, and political unrest.
Join labor leaders and local artists in this unique and joyful cross-disciplinary celebration of frontline workers and the American labor movement through the songs of Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Wicked), James Taylor, Micki Grant, and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In The Heights).