A Call to Arts from Eighth-Grade Students

Local Board member Phil Elam and Local President Jayne Bower

SAG-AFTRA Michigan Local Board members are always looking for ways to cultivate future generations in various outreach programs. One recent endeavor that focused on this objective took place the Hillel Day School. It was the Michigan Local’s answer to the A Call to Arts initiative.

The eighth-grade students at Hillel were studying the works of William Shakespeare. In order for them to better understand the play Julius Caesar, students were asked to develop a radio or television broadcast on the murder of Julius Caesar. 

SAG-AFTRA broadcasters and actors were invited to participate on a panel to give pointers as to what it would take to maximize the presentation of their original news stories.  

Local President Jayne Bower, SAG-AFTRA Director of Locals Administration Marcia Fishman and actor and board member Phil Elam served on the panel and were impressed with the creative and enthusiastic student participants. The time and preparation that each Hillel Day School student put into their broadcast showed that the potential future crop of SAG-AFTRA members is strong in the state of Michigan.

This item was originally featured in the June 2016 local newsletter.