One of the most important aspects of the arts is its ability to change the world. Whether we’re talking about a work by Picasso, a song by The Beatles, or a musical like Rent, artists are a crucial part of our society; artists are unafraid to shine a light on tough issues and really call for change through their work.
With that in mind, Camp Broadway is partnering with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, the largest grassroots campaign to fight malaria, a disease that kills a child in Africa every 60 seconds. Camp Broadway is encouraging kids to sing, dance, create, and take ACTion to raise awareness about the global fight against malaria. Creative kids can submit videos of their original work through May 9 at NothingButNetsChallenge.net, and two submissions that receive the most votes will win a trip to New York City and a coveted spot in Camp Broadway’s July summer session, including a trip to see The Lion King on Broadway!
Back in October, Camp Broadway Founder, Susan Lee joined the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign on a mission to distribute bed nets to villages in Madagascar. As fate would have it, also on that mission was Bonnie Stack, Communications Manager at Junior Chamber International (JCI)–another Nothing But Nets partner, and Camp Broadway alum! In celebration of the collaboration, and to help inspire young people to take action and raise awareness for an important cause, we chatted with Bonnie about her time at Camp Broadway, her current work with JCI, and how kids everywhere can join a cause to create positive change. (And don’t forget to share your own work with us at NothingButNetsChallenge.net!)
Tell us a little about your involvement with Camp Broadway (when did you attend, what shows did you perform in..?).
I attended Camp Broadway at ASU Gammage in Phoenix, AZ. It was the summer of 2002, between eighth grade and freshman year in high school so I was 14 years old. The professional show that was on stage at Gammage was Titanic and if I remember correctly, we performed Annie for our camp show. I absolutely LOVED the Camp Broadway experience. Before Camp Broadway, I had been doing dance classes and show choir for years and had been in my middle school musicals. However, this was my Broadway boot camp in such an amazing and inspiring way. At the end of that week, I was a better triple threat than I had ever expected. It gave me the confidence to try out for community theatre and I ended up performing in three to four musicals a season all through high school at a local theatre. Camp Broadway heightened my existing passion for singing, acting and dancing and I will be forever thankful for the wonderful experience.
What did you do next? Did you attend college? Where?
My theatre journey continued through high school and then I studied Broadcast Journalism and Sociology at the University of Missouri (Mizzou-go tigers!). I had thought about majoring in theatre but I was very interested in journalism as well. Broadcast Journalism allowed me to combine my love of performance with my passion for writing and investigation. I was a reporter during college for the NBC affiliate in Columbia, MO. I remained involved in theatre through my sorority Chi Omega for campus competitions, homecoming etc. I have missed acting, singing and dancing ever since, but I know it contributed to my passion and success in the journalism and communications world.
How did the arts shape your life? How do you believe being a student of the arts can contribute to a person’s world view? How did your Camp Broadway experience inform this?
The arts shaped me at a very young age giving me the strength and confidence to be myself and pursue my dreams. Being onstage, singing, dancing and acting is such a healthy outlet of self-expression and self-discovery. It reminds me to smile, hold my head high and approach each situation with a positive outlook. Although I am not in theatre anymore, my experience and everything I learned from it stays with me every day. It allowed me to pursue TV journalism with an existing passion for performance and sharing people’s stories. Now through JCI, I use my theatre skills for a variety show program at our international events and I do voice overs for the videos we produce. Being a student of the arts opens your view of the world as you learn about different kinds of people, life situations, conflict resolution and keeping a positive attitude through every cast and every show. One of my great directors once said, “Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art” and I will forever carry those words of wisdom with me through every life experience.
My Camp Broadway experience had a special effect on my journey in the arts because it was the most intense, eye-opening training and experience I had had at that point in my journey. It really opened my eyes to how rewarding hard work on a dance, song or scene can be and truly showed me the breadth of talent that others possess when it comes to the arts. In just one week, I learned more about myself and the art than I ever would have thought signing up for camp. Learning from and working with experts in the business was inspiring and made me want to take my journey to the next level by doing more shows and committing myself to my craft for the coming years. The joy, excitement and confidence I felt at Camp Broadway guided me through community theatre and beyond.
Why do you think it’s important for people to have the arts in their lives?
On my mission to Madagascar with Nothing But Nets, we were in very impoverished communities. However, I think the arts play a part of every culture, everywhere. Even in the small huts in the villages we visited, some had paintings and pictures decorating the walls. You could see the kids running and playing and sometimes singing or playing their own makeshift instruments, even as simple as a stick hitting a rock. We were there to distribute insecticide treated bed nets and at a launch ceremony we attended, they even had huge life-size puppets with a theatrical show complete with music! Tons of kids were gathered around the puppets and loved every minute. Some were screaming with joy and dancing and it was so powerful to see the arts as way to educate the people about malaria. For me, music makes me smile. And we saw so many happy, playful children in these villages even when they had almost nothing. I have to believe that there is some kind of imagination in every one of those children and having a big imagination and curiosity for life is a must when you love or know the arts. I think no matter where you are in the world, the power of music and the arts exists and is a wonderful tool to teach, inspire and make people happy.
The arts are an essential part of someone’s life experience because they teach you to express yourself in a passionate and healthy way. The arts offer a variety of experiences for each unique person. Whether it be theatre, music, dance or song, they open the door for a myriad of talents to be showcased in so many different ways. The arts provide an outlet for expression for people who may not have one otherwise. I believe that the love you pour into the arts, you will receive back tenfold. And even if someone just enjoys the arts, they can experience the passion created when a cast takes the final curtain call or a singer hits their best note. One of the parts I like best about the arts is the raw emotion and the positivity. They showcase the human experience and the many talents each person can possess. They involve heart, mind, body and soul and I believe can only affect someone’s life journey in a positive way.
If we have young people reading, how do you suggest they get started with community work or promoting a cause they believe in?
First, find out what you’re passionate about. And then pursue it. Do you want to help kids in your own community or kids from another part of the world? Do you want to run a food drive or help the elderly or do a fundraiser for a cause that has affected yourself or someone you know? The first step is deciding what will bring you joy while helping others and then wholeheartedly throw your energy into the cause by yourself, or with others that share your passion.
Use the power of social media and the networks of friends or family that you have to share your cause with and help you along the way. The more people to support you and the cause you love the better, so don’t be afraid to shout it from the rooftops. Do your part to change the world, big or small, because every journey for impact makes a difference.
What is something you’d like to share with our readers that I haven’t asked about? Maybe about your work, a cause you believe in, the work being done at the JCI?
One cause I truly believe in is the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign combatting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Sending an insecticide-treated bed net to save a life for only $10 is such a simple and easy task. These nets protect children and their families every night from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Since malaria is preventable, sending bed nets along with education, monitoring their use and advocacy, will allow us to beat this deadly disease. I had the opportunity to experience the importance of a bed net in local communities in Madagascar. Seeing the children and their families so grateful for a life-saving bed net was such an amazing experience. Although living in a different country and community, we all share the human experience of life and love. Being able to help a child and their family live a better life all the way from the US to Africa is such a powerful way for someone to create their story of impact and share it with the world. I encourage everyone around me to think about how they want to give back. Sending a net to save a life from malaria is an easy and inspiring way to help others and become one step closer to better world.