Event Alert: Pacha’s Pajamas Caps off NYC Green Festival Sunday, 4/22

April 21st, 2012 by Trenton

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Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and the NYC Green Festival will conclude on a musical high note. The multi-media musical story written by nature, “Pacha’s Pajamas,” will be part of the festival’s closing showcase at the Javits Center at 5:00 PM (see full schedule here).

Get into Earth Day with Pascha's Pajamas. (Photo Credit: Layla Love Photography)

“Pacha’s Pajamas” originated from a book series, interactive mobile game app, and musical album featuring youth stars and notable artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Cheech Marin. It combines on-line products with real world experiences, creating a platform to engage children and families in a powerful conversation about our interdependence with nature — and each other!

As part of this year’s Earth Day New York festivities, Aaron Ableman (author of “Pacha’s Pajamas”) and photographer Layla Love have come together to create a high-impact media performance for children of all ages at the NYC Green Festival, on April 22nd, 2012. Their collaboration is a mix of musical storytelling, innovative visual landscapes and a powerful message.

The creators of Pacha’s Pajamas explain further:

“As Earth Day 2012 rolls around the solar clock, and the global apocalypse still hasn’t arrived, those of us still breathing are creating a world our children deserve. Despite the crises and doomsday reports, we’re living in a time of great possibility. In fact, people everywhere are implementing exciting models for positive change and transformation.

Let’s be real. This is a time when Congress is reading poetry on the floor, when occupying a park means international economic revolution, when entrepreneurs are catalyzing innovative technologies to advance interconnectivity in communications, when a civil rights activist is catalyzing a green jobs movement uniting social and environmental justice.

We are witness to a momentous watershed era, whereby disciplines are converging, collaborating and engaging with greater creativity than ever before! Though the mainstream media has yet to give due credit, the system is beginning to awaken to the power of these stories and the charismatic storytellers who are carrying this hopeful torch onto the center stage.

More Pascha's Pajamas. (Photo Credit: Layla Love Photography)

And what a better stage to share this message of positive social and environmental change than through popular culture? After all, this is the place where media, storytelling, and celebrity collide. But how often do you see positive messages infiltrating (or occupying) the TV set or global media, especially programming for children?

In fact, children are on screens a startling 7-13hrs per day, and even worse, there is a dangerous lack of environmental (or even culturally appropriate) content for these young minds. In a recent study by the World Science staff, an alarming trend noted that “Americans are losing their connection with nature”, and furthermore, this is “strikingly evident in respected children’s books.” And this was reported by a group of renowned researchers who investigated nearly 300 award-winning children’s books published from 1938 to 2008!

As stewards of the future, how can we begin to offer compelling content connected to nature, while still meeting audiences where they’re at?

Save your energy! (Photo Credit: Layla Love Photography)

Thus enters Pacha’s Pajamas – it’ Earth Day and their show will follow Russell Simmons on the main stage! And all in the context of the amazing and incredible Green Festival – the first time in its 25 years of production that the Green Festival is coming to the Big Apple.

And this Green Festival event will be a nutritious and delicious tasting Big Apple, where the next wave of popular culture will unite youth, celebrity and critical messages for a changing world! What more could you want for family fun than inspiring education that’s fun, empowering and green?

All things considered, if humanity wishes to overcome our endless struggles, we need to utilize popular tools to spread positive and empowering stories. Global events like Earth Day, Global Peace Day and so many more represent a growing majority (did someone say 99%?) seeking deeper solutions to social and environmental ills.”

See you at the NYC Green Festival. (Photo Credit: Layla Love Photography)