Senior staff from WC Smith’s partner, Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR)/THEARC were featured recently on NBC-4, WRC-TV, to discuss the opportunities they have created for opportunities for residents of Wards 7 and 8 to work, learn, and participate in the community.
BBAR President Rahsaan G. Bernard, Kimberly Douglas, who directs the theater at THEARC, Joyce Milford, who manages the iCan technical theater program at THEARC, and Irfana Jetha Noorani, deputy director of the 11th Street Bridge Park project, all discussed how their projects are helping people through the many programs and activities available through BBAR and THEARC.
Through the theater program, residents are treated to top-notch live entertainment, while students are able to learn and participate in putting on a good show on stage. Douglas noted how eye-opening the theater programs are for students, some of whom become interested in careers related to theater, stage management or design. Milford teaches the iCan students, who are paid teen interns from Wards 7 and 8, about what it takes to do the lighting, make-up and design, sound, sets and other aspects of the “backstage.”
Another exciting project in the works is BBAR’s 11th Street Bridge Park, which will connect the Navy Yard/Capitol Hill to Anacostia and other neighborhoods in Southeast D.C. with a bridge crossing the Anacostia River. The park with include art festivities, food, gardening, kayaking, and more. Though the construction will not be done until 2023, it is easy to understand why residents are already excited.
Something else that brings people to THEARC is THEARC Farm. THEARC Farm provides food for residents through the CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. In the summer of 2019, more than 300 people have registered to receive food through the CSA. Not only are the vegetables and herbs locally grown and delicious, they provide a much-needed source of fresh food for residents of Wards 7 and 8, who have had few grocery options.
You can check out the interview with NBC4’s Pat Lawson Muse here.
This blog post was contributed by special editor Isabella Smith.
