CHICAGO'S VICTORY GARDENS THEATER: FREE FILM SCREENING & GIVEAWAY

Join Voices of a People's History for a free screening of the award-winning documentary feature film The People Speak and help us launch our new Chicago pilot project, bringing history to life in Chicago's classrooms.

After the screening, Chicago Public School teachers and community educators can pick up the free Chicago Voices Educators Toolkit, which includes a DVD of the film The People Speak, a preloaded 2GB carabiner USB flash drive with lesson plans, books, teaching guides, articles, and other multimedia materials for the classroom.

To learn more about what's in the Chicago Voices Educators Toolkit and how to get one, click here.

The Chicago Voices kickoff event takes place at 7PM on Tuesday, September 20, at
Victory Gardens Theater.

The free screening of The People Speak film (110 min) will be introduced by Chicago Voices co-directors: poet KEVIN COVAL, co-founder and Artistic Director of Louder Than A Bomb: Chicago Youth Poetry Festival and educator MARIAH NEUROTH.

The People Speak is inspired by Howard Zinn's books A People’s History of the United States — first published in 1980 and one of the bestselling history books in the United States — and the companion primary source anthology, Voices of a People's History of the United States, edited with Anthony Arnove.

This beautiful and moving film features the actual words (in letters, songs, poems, speeches, and manifestoes) of rebels, dissenters and visionaries from our past — and present. These dramatic moments in U.S. history are brought to life by a group of remarkable musicians and actors, including Matt Damon, Marisa Tomei, Danny Glover, Josh Brolin, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, John Legend, Lupe Fiasco, Kerry Washington, David Strathairn, and many more.

The film had its broadcast premiere on The History Channel in December 2009, to critical acclaim:

"Striking, exhilarating…the performances are thrilling." Los Angeles Times
"Works beautifully…Each passionate reading flows out of the previous one." Boston Globe
"A terrifically educational and entertaining film for all ages." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Questions about the kick off or Chicago Voices? Contact voices@peopleshistory.us

During the 2011–2012 school year, the Chicago Voices pilot project will bring free educational resources; public performing arts programming; free documentary film screenings; and, professional development workshops to educators and students in Chicago Public Schools and in community and education organizations across the city.

The Chicago Voices project is sponsored by Lannan Foundation, a family foundation established in Chicago in 1960 and now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.