KINGSTON – Several dozen zombie-clad teens choreographed musical scenes from Michael Jackson’s 1982 Thriller video, on the side of Broadway outside the Health Alliance Broadway campus hospital on Wednesday evening.
Teens say funding cuts are “scary”
The event was coordinated by Center for Creative Education, threatened by $1.2 billion in proposed cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, which funds the New York Council for the Arts, one of the main sources of funding for CCE after-school programs.
The teens danced in unison dressed up like monsters, to illustrate how scary they find these funding reductions, which appear in the FY2018 proposed federal budget. The flash mob was followed by spoken work performances and remarks from CCE creative director Bryant Drew Andrews.
“This is a serious matter, and sometimes we integrate art and social justice, bringing attention to what’s happening in our society, that’s what these kids are doing,” Andrews explained. “These budget cuts are serious and will affect programs like ours, arts and education, and keep kids off the streets and keep them engaged.”
Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley collaborated with the youth organization, highlighting the recent failure of Graham-Cassidy bill, which they label as the latest attempt by Congressional lawmakers to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Lead organizer Callie Jayne rallied the cheering children in support.
The Health Alliance Kingston Hospital was chosen as the location for this event because of the ongoing ACA battle. The Flash Mob calls for an end to all future repeal bills in Congress. “While it is easy to feel that there is nothing we can do, you need to understand that we have the power,” Jayne said.
“It’s really important that we speak up, and speak out, and don’t be apathetic to what’s happening in our society, that affect us, here at home, affecting these kids directly,” Andrews said.
