Part-time professors at the New School have been on strike since Nov. 16, to demand higher wages, job security and healthcare eligibility. Students, who were just about to enter finals and end-of-term performances, are suddenly without teachers and the recitals they had spent months preparing for.
But, Brooklynite Simone Dinnerstein, an internationally renowned pianist and one of the many music faculty on strike at The New School, is organizing an off-site concert for students in Park Slope so that the show can go on. The Old Stone House in Brooklyn has donated its space so students can perform without crossing the picket line.
In an Instagram post, Dinnerstein said, "being on strike means that we are withholding our labor. That means that we are not teaching the students or being available to them. Holding concerts during this time puts our students in a terrible situation. They are not receiving the preparation and support that they need from their teachers and they are torn about crossing the picket line."
The Mannes Students Celebration will honor student achievements and the teachers who support their studies. Performances are by current Mannes students, alumni and their teachers from the part-time faculty.
The first Mannes Students Celebration was on Sunday evening, and the next one will be held on Monday, Dec. 5, 7:00pm-10:00pm. To learn more about the strike, click here.