In music, to sustain means to hold a note for a prolonged period of time. In general English, to sustain something means to strengthen or support it physically or mentally. Both require focus and intention.
When New York City Children’s Theater added the word sustainable to our mission earlier this year, we thought about focus and intention and what it meant to have sustainable theatrical productions and arts in education programs. We realized that sustainability is always a partnership: between one’s breath and one’s vocal cords, between performers’ energy and audiences’ attention, between a teaching artist’s creativity and the community in which they serve, and between all of us and the world in which we live.
New York City Children’s Theater’s mission is to promote children’s literacy and social development through sustainable, accessible, professional theater productions and arts-in-education programs.
Our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals was part of the impetus to add to our mission. A few of the seventeen goals are already intrinsic to our work.
- Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
We know that our work towards these four goals is not a reason to stop working on the rest. After all, eradicating poverty (Goal 1), generating affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), and committing to peace, justice, and strong institutions (Goal 16) is going to require the efforts of the whole world. We’re committed to that. Creating stories with children reminds us every day of what is at stake if we do not hold up our piece of the partnership. We also know that bringing about these outcomes will require something beyond commitment.
At New York City Children’s Theater, we understand that engagement with the arts builds a child’s creative skill and ability to envision something completely new. We know that young generations are going to need those attributes, as well as skills for existing peaceably within community, to continue to sustain their world. Our programs engage imaginations. They teach modes of communication that promote listening well and speaking clearly. They model modalities for managing overwhelming emotions and engender cooperation. In other words, they mentally and physically strengthen and support children’s well-being.
We sustain children. And you sustain us.
Thank you for all you do to hold up your part of the partnership.
And none of it would be possible without your support.