Community Activations

As a cornerstone of presenting Ritual of Breath at Lincoln Center, the production will catalyze a series of civic partnerships, community activations and healing rituals in June and July. Activity will be anchored in Staten Island, where Eric Garner lived and died, as well as across the five boroughs of New York City. These activations will speak to the root causes of systemic injustice that impacted the lives of Eric Garner and his daughter Erica, and offer Black and non-Black communities alike spaces to center collective wellness, ancestral healing and an ongoing commitment to the value and sanctity of Black lives. 

“Community is at the heart of Ritual of Breath, and that extends to the interconnected network of artist-activists lending their power and voices to this moment. We hope these community activations will visibilize the Black communities that call Staten Island home, and encourage everyone to witness this memorial anniversary as an opportunity to orient their souls towards justice.”
— Bryan Joseph Lee, Community Producer, NYC

Through more than a dozen community events in partnership with local civic and arts organizations, we will offer arts and wellness activities that merge music, poetry, dance, yoga, community listening circles, conversations, and more. The community work in New York City builds upon both the original rituals developed at Dartmouth College and the powerful inclusion of a group of mothers who lost their children to police violence.

Civic Partnerships

Our city-wide community activations will kick off on June 14th. We’ll be sharing more about these partnerships and community activations in early May.

The civic engagement and community activation strategy is led by Dartmouth Alumnus, Bryan Joseph Lee, founder of the creative studio CNTR ARTS, with Jahtiek Long and Sidney Erik Wright as Associate Community Producers.

  • Bryan Joseph Lee

    Community Producer

    Bio >

  • Jahtiek Long

    Associate Community Producer

    Bio >

  • Sidney Erik Wright

    Associate Community Producer

    Bio >

Rituals of Healing

As the project was being developed, social impact director Shamell Bell and the creators worked with the community to develop seven rituals, tied to the themes and seven movements of the opera. These rituals, including groundings and both personal and communal activations were offered in the days leading up to the performance.

These rituals are meant as offerings, adapted to each community where the work is shared.