Disability Reframed presents a free screening of the documentary film Benda Bilili!, followed by a lively audience discussion. The screening will be held March 2, 2013 from 2pm to 5pm at the Salvation Army Kroc Community Center, 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester.
Benda Bilili! is a 2010 documentary that follows a group of homeless musicians with disabilities living on the streets of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They form a musical group called Staff Benda Bilili and eventually reach a worldwide acclaim. "Benda Bilili" translates as "look beyond appearances" in Lingala, one of the languages of the Congo. Come to share in their infectious music and compelling personal visions. This film's soundtrack is in Lingala and French, with English open captions.
National Endowment for the Arts' Inter-agency Task Force will host a public webinar about Research on the Arts and Aging, February 20, 2013, 2:00 – 3:00 pm.
As the U.S. population ages, it faces more age-related diseases. How can the arts serve to treat, prevent, or improve these conditions? Representatives from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the University of California will discuss current investigations on the arts and aging, including new resources for researchers and arts practitioners. The NEA also debuts a new publication on arts and aging research based on a convening at the National Academy of Sciences last fall.
Ms. Hall, also known as "Coach E!", and referenced by The New York Times as "the child whisperer", was a top Hollywood children's acting coach whose life changed dramatically after her son Neal, adopted from a Russian orphanage, was diagnosed with autism. When traditional therapies did not work for him, she sought the esteemed Dr. Stanley Greenspan who encouraged her to rally actors and other creative people to join his world – the result was Neal slowly emerging out of his isolation.
