Musical for Social Change
Part 1: Research a Social Issue
Working as a class, go to the library and collect multiple sources of information surrounding a social issue you wish to address in your short musical. Collect academic research on the topic, find historical reporting in newspapers, trace and piece together a history of actions that have lead to the conditions surrounding this issue—consider actions that have resisted such conditions.
Part 2: Create a Musical About a Social Issue
Working as a class, write, compose, and produce a ten-minute one-act musical focused on an issue you wish to change in our community. You have wide latitude in selecting the topic and implementing a plan to achieve your goal. Assign each group member various roles for writing, composing, performing, filming, and editing the musical—play to your individual strengths. Create an original plot that includes an antagonist and protagonist. Each student must compose at least one original song for the musical; include solos, duets, and group numbers.
Part 3: Present the Musical
As a group, organize, promote, and present a screening of your musical. Include in your presentation a 10-minute section that introduces knowledge (research-based, facts, narratives of lived-experiences, etc.) surrounding your topic. Educate the audience about the situation you are trying to address. Include a 15-minute break-out section that engages the audience in an action based discussion or workshop-like activity that results in developing ways we can change the conditions that lead to or are caused by the topic of your musical.
Working as a class, go to the library and collect multiple sources of information surrounding a social issue you wish to address in your short musical. Collect academic research on the topic, find historical reporting in newspapers, trace and piece together a history of actions that have lead to the conditions surrounding this issue—consider actions that have resisted such conditions.
Part 2: Create a Musical About a Social Issue
Working as a class, write, compose, and produce a ten-minute one-act musical focused on an issue you wish to change in our community. You have wide latitude in selecting the topic and implementing a plan to achieve your goal. Assign each group member various roles for writing, composing, performing, filming, and editing the musical—play to your individual strengths. Create an original plot that includes an antagonist and protagonist. Each student must compose at least one original song for the musical; include solos, duets, and group numbers.
Part 3: Present the Musical
As a group, organize, promote, and present a screening of your musical. Include in your presentation a 10-minute section that introduces knowledge (research-based, facts, narratives of lived-experiences, etc.) surrounding your topic. Educate the audience about the situation you are trying to address. Include a 15-minute break-out section that engages the audience in an action based discussion or workshop-like activity that results in developing ways we can change the conditions that lead to or are caused by the topic of your musical.
