Ages Take Action: Give the Vaccine a Shot is an artistic public service announcement collaboration between Heidi Duckler Dance (HDD) and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center at MLK Community Hospital Campus (MLK) developed to address factors contributing to low rates of vaccination amongst BIPOC communities, such as medical distrust. The PSA showcases a lively performance led by a diverse group of HDD dancers and MLK providers, patients, and administrators, along with messages from community medical experts such as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ellen Rothman.
With the help of the Young Producers Group, an organization dedicated to improving the “creative, cultural, and academic skill sets of students through project-based, interactive, digital music instruction”, the team behind Ages Take Action commissioned the performance’s score to be created and produced by two Los Angeles Unified School District students.
The goal of Ages Take Action is to activate community members with the knowledge to make the most informed decision for themselves, their families, and their community. Through this performance, HDD and MLK hope to provide a resource for anyone who may want to use it or distribute it, because as it stands the COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective and safe solution to the virus. Furthermore, tools such as these are the informative resources people need to decide if vaccination is the right decision for them.
This performance will be in the form of a video, shown throughout the Watts/Willowbrook area through several free community screenings with local organizations, which will all be followed by a Q&A/panel discussion for attendees to ask questions to medical providers related to COVID-19 and the pandemic.
The upcoming screening will be September 21st at 7PM (PDT) in partnership with and hosted at the Watts Coffee House (1827 E 103rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90002). They will also be joined by the TRAP Medicine team, who will provide attendees with educational materials and information about their vaccine and testing services for youth and adults, the Delta variant, and their other services to address health disparities.
By doing this, HDD and MLK hope to provide a community space for people’s vaccination concerns to be heard, increase scientifically-backed and first-hand knowledge of the vaccine and its effects, assist those needing help navigating where and how to get vaccinated, and ultimately combat the disproportionate effects COVID-19 is having on BIPOC communities.
Can’t make the screenings? Watch the performance here: https://vimeo.com/569473473