DecadesOut is 2014 CUSP Mini-Grant Recipient
January 6, 2014
DecadesOut, a New York-based nonprofit arts organization dedicated to raising public awareness of the impact and social relevancy that science has on the arts, culture and human expression, has been named one of the select seven grant recipients for the 2014 Climate & Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) mini-grant for its work on its very own Metropolis Filmmakers program
The Climate & Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) is a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for partnerships in Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC to create a joint model of climate change education for use in their cities and other cities across the country; a model that engages city (or urban) audiences in community-wide (or systems-level) issues related to climate change via local partnerships.
CUSP is comprised of a network of informal educators, climate scientists, learning scientists and local community organizations across four cities, dedicated to improving local understanding of and engagement with climate change science.
DecadesOut was a natural fit, having recently launched Metropolis Filmmakers, a new program aimed at educating aspiring young filmmakers and dedicated to introducing youth to the science and technique of traditional 16mm film production. Metropolis Filmmakers is an exciting and intensive workshop teaching 16mm black and white analog filmmaking to six to eight young people ages 8-12. Workshops will be held at the DecadesOut studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and will explore the unique landscape of this historic neighborhood.
Award-winning filmmaker Jenny Perlin conceived this project and teamed up with Frank Kuzler, executive director of DecadesOut, to put together an amazing lesson plan, focusing on a hands-on approach concentrating on handmade animation, composition, lighting, optics, and of course, visual storytelling, not to mention 16mm Bolex wind-up cameras.
The Metropolis Filmmakers program is expected to cause a spark in our communities’ families – and hopefully open some doors to creative pursuits and possibilities for children entering high school in the near future and therefore faced with a number of big decisions ahead. This is just the kind of project that can help create and foster a hobby, a career choice, and, above all, a form of expression for an age group that is finding its own voice.
This program only enhances DecadesOut’s 2014 Systems Festival, which includes numerous events highlighting the interactions between scientists and artists, including those with an educational focus in coordination with NY local schools.
DecadesOut looks forward to a rich partnership with CUSP, both in 2014 and beyond.
About Frank Kuzler
Frank is the Executive Director and a Producer at DecadesOut. For over ten years, he has been writing, directing and producing independent films and video. Most recently, Frank has been producing non-fiction films and is in production on two feature length documentaries, FringeNYC the Film and Burning to Communicate.
Some producing credits include the feature film Rain which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and had its broadcast premiere on Showtime in February 2010; After the Apocalypse; New Land, New Life; as well as a handful of shorts and commercials.
About Jenny Perlin
Jenny is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker who has been teaching and working with 16mm film and video for nearly 20 years. Jenny’s films have been shown nationally and internationally at museums, galleries, and film festivals like the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, and film festivals like Rotterdam, Berlin, and Migrating Forms here in New York. She is currently teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, the Cooper Union, and The New School in New York. You can see her work or read more about what she does at www.nilrep.net.