Voices of Change:
​What Makes Your Blood Boil?

This interactive session will challenge participants to focus on the issues in their lives that make their blood boil and work collaboratively through the arts to create performances that actively advocate for the issues most important to them.

Voices of Change (VOC) is a program of Stage the Change. VOC's mission is to bring young people from disparate communities together, challenging them to find their similarities, celebrate their differences and define their voice through the arts to actively create change in the world.

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Presented by...

Elise May, an independent Teaching Artist, actor, singer, and writer, has performed and taught in the U.S. and internationally. Her original award-winning Arts-in-Education programs use theater arts for communication empowerment and community development with all populations. Elise is the Program Developer and Director of Storytime Theater, Expressive Elocution, Multicultural Voices, Creative Readers (winner of the 2017 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award) Landmark Radio Theater, and Theater for Dessert. Currently President of the Board of Stage the Change, Elise has presented at many conferences including ITAC4, Arts for All Abilities Consortium and NYSTEA Educator and Student Conferences. 

Oya Bangura is originally from West Africa, Sierra Leone. Her early dance training was received at The United Nations International School and as a scholarship student with Jacques d’Amboise and his National Dance Institute before heading to Boston University. Oya has appeared at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center’s Outdoor Festivals, American Ballet Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Rodotto and Fenice. She has performed as the Principal choreographer/ dancer/actor in an Off Broadway production written, directed and produced by Jahidah Diaab. Oya's passion is being Co-Founder of Project MOVE, an Arts in Education organization charged with the mission of nurturing the leaders of tomorrow, while bringing communities together through the Arts. Making changes, one heartbeat at a time.