Categories
Social Justice

Walking the Beat: A Cops/Kids Program

Theater and Social Justice

Walking the Beat:

A Cops/Kids Program

Walking the Beat is a creative writing, theater, and multi-media workshop for students grades 9-12 and local police officers, designed to establish a groundwork for conversation and create real, achievable actions for specific communities across the country. The work includes, but is not limited to, the following themes:

1. Spiritual grounding, self-care, restorative practice
2. The history of policing
3. The Ferguson Moment
4. Police reforms and alternative emergency response systems
5. Abolition (Schools/Prisons/Police) – advocacy and art
6. Dream building

Tackling the Epidemic: In 2016, The Guardian reported a total of 1,093 people killed by police officers in the United States. 449 of those murdered were of Black and Hispanic descent. According the Washington Post, 34% of those shot and killed were unarmed Black males. The Post also reported that Black males were three times more likely to get shot and killed than White males. On the flip side, in 2016 there were 63 police officers killed by gunfire, according to the Officer Downs Memorial Page. As these numbers continue to grow, so does the lack of trust between police officers and people of color. The anxiety felt in the presence of police officers, as a young African- American male, innocent of any crime, is real. And as an arts organization, we challenged ourselves to ask: what could we do to fix this? How can the arts be used as a tool to tackle these issues? We’ve chosen to do this with creative courage. Healthy civilian-police relations are vital to achieving vibrant communities. The Walking the Beat project works to reinforce positive interactions between police and young people through facilitated dialogue and improvisation. The residency brings local police officers together with high school students to devise a piece of theater focused on community policing. What most excites EYTE is having mobilized a large group of police officers in Elizabeth New Jersey. These officers are now excited about getting to know the young people in their community. And the students who participated are continuing to cultivate these relationships in their communities.

C.H.I.N. U.P! 2023 Walking the Beat Los Angeles

C.H.I.N. U.P! 2024 Walking the Beat Los Angeles

Shots Fired! 2023 Walking the Beat - NJ

Shots Fired! 2023 Walking the Beat -

Flicker: Walking the Beat Los Angeles

Flicker: Walking the Beat Los Angeles

Protect Your HeART: Walking the Beat - NJ

Protect Your HeART: Walking the Beat - NJ

Blackout: 2021 Walking the Beat Los Angeles

Blackout: 2021 Walking the Beat Los Angeles

The Fugitive Academy: 2021 Walking the Beat - NJ

The Fugitive Academy: 2021 Walking the Beat - NJ

An Emergency Convening: 2020 Walking the Beat - NJ

Walking The Beat 2020

Theater News

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New Jersey Theatre Alliance Welcomes EYTEnsemble As Their First Round of Affiliate Members

The New Jersey Theatre Alliance has recently welcomed the Elizabeth Youth Theater...

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Everything Is a Re-Mix

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Walk The Beat – Hollywood

LA students and LAPD Officers on stage together

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ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence

RSVP NOW for this special in-person, outdoor event at Elizabeth City Hall....

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What It Takes

What It Takes

What It Takes pits a resilient spirit against insurmountable odds. We bear...

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Categories
Media

Black Lives Matter: Elizabeth Painting

George Floyd’s brother, Eric Garner’s mother visit N.J. for painting of BLM mural
Black Lives Matter: Elizabeth Painting

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2023 Elders in Residence Program

RSVP NOW for this special in-person, outdoor event at Elizabeth City Hall....

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2023 Holiday Mixer

We're getting into the holiday spirit with our 2nd annual Holiday Mixer...

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Walking the Beat: A Cops/Kids Program

Walking the Beat is a creative writing, theater, and multi-media workshop for...

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For the Sake of Our Bodies

For the Sake of Our Bodies was developed as part of Walking...

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WarnerMedia Supports WTB 2021 LA

Union County Teenagers Tackle Violence Intervention in their Community through Art and Immersive Technology

The Fountain Theatre has been awarded a WarnerMedia Arts and Culture grant...

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Categories
Events Social Justice

Walk The Beat – Hollywood

Walking the Beat Hollywood 2019:

A Wall is Just Another Door​

In partnership with The Fountain Theatre and Los Angeles City College, EYTE proudly introduces Walking the Beat Hollywood, a summer theater arts based program for inner city high school youth and police officers in Hollywood, East Hollywood and adjacent communities.

EYTE and The Fountain Theatre launched this pioneering arts education program in 2019 with support from HBO Inspires, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and other community partners. Utilizing performing arts as a vehicle for youth empowerment and community building, this 9 week program builds confidence, character, communication skills and community. Walking the Beat inspires — in students and officers alike — an appreciation for their common humanity, and a commitment to community and social justice.

 

“LAPD Hollywood is excited to partner with the Fountain to make Walking the Beat 2020 a reality. In 2019,this program was another giant step in building trust in our community. It’s an investment we must continue to make”

- Commanding Officer Cory Palka of LAPD Hollywood

Theater News

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The Fugitive Academy: 2021 Walking the Beat - NJ

Walking The Beat 2021: The Fugitive Academy

RSVP NOW for this special in-person, outdoor event at Elizabeth City Hall....

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The Afterschool Podcast

Introducing the “After-School Podcast” by The Elizabeth Youth Theater Ensemble Welcome to...

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What It Takes

What It Takes

What It Takes pits a resilient spirit against insurmountable odds. We bear...

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Walking the Beat: A Cops/Kids Program

Walking the Beat is a creative writing, theater, and multi-media workshop for...

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WarnerMedia Supports WTB 2021 LA

WarnerMedia Supports Fountain Theatre’s Community-Building ‘Walking the Beat’ Program

The Fountain Theatre has been awarded a WarnerMedia Arts and Culture grant...

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Categories
Events

What It Takes

What It Takes
What It Takes

What It Takes pits a resilient spirit against insurmountable odds. We bear witness to Julian’s journey as he learns the true definition of leadership from the unsung, everyday heroes all around. What It Takes is a film written and produced by Jefferson Arts High School students while in workshop with the Elizabeth Youth Theater Ensemble. It is an homage to their home-city of Elizabeth declaring you don’t have to leave where you’re from to be successful and they have interviews with five local organic intellectuals to prove it. The film is inspired by those interviews which include, Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Principal Michael Ojeda, Luis Cespedes, Linda Flores-Tober, and students who founded the first LGBT Club at Jeff Arts High. Our culture is dogmatic about American individualism, manifest destiny and “leaving” home to attain success. What It Takes ultimately counte

Developed and realized by students of the EYTE 2016 Community Values Workshop  

  • Directed by:
    Gregory Markowitz, Ivy Passee,
    and Cristian Rivera

  • Produced by
    Nicole Guillermo

  • Director of Photography:
    Ivy Passee
    and Cristian Rivera

  • Edited by:
    Cristian Rivera

  • Production Design:
    Gustavo Mejia
    and Raven Dozier

  • Teaching Artists:
    Pierre M. Coleman
    Angela Kariotis
    Theo Perkins
    and Mary Rivera

Theater News

All

Black Lives Matter: Elizabeth Painting

Joined by a slate of guests including George Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd,...

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Everything Is a Re-Mix

Through devised theater practices, exercises and writing techniques, students and seniors together...

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The Fugitive Academy: 2021 Walking the Beat - NJ

Walking The Beat 2021: The Fugitive Academy

RSVP NOW for this special in-person, outdoor event at Elizabeth City Hall....

Read More

2023 Elders in Residence Program

RSVP NOW for this special in-person, outdoor event at Elizabeth City Hall....

Read More

Walking the Beat: A Cops/Kids Program

Walking the Beat is a creative writing, theater, and multi-media workshop for...

Read More