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Fresh water is the reason human life can be sustained on earth and yet, pollution, economic inequality and climate change are making the precious resource harder for millions to access. We don't talk about it that much because, well, how do you make water awareness sexy?
This year, a free concert at the Gramercy Theatre on March 24 is aiming to do just that, with panels, workshops and an immersive theatrical performance by the iconic alt-soul group Britton & The Sting.
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The March 24 event is spearheaded by MAMA, a theatrical experience that was first commissioned by Little Island and led by Tony Award winning artist Britton Smith and his band, Britton & The Sting. Last summer, MAMA performed five sold-out shows on a stage located on the floating park—which is surrounded by the Hudson River on all sides—and furthered conversations on the importance of water not just for our physical survival, but also as a cultural force that connects us all.
"Unfortunately, It’s hard to make anything sexy that we believe is too easily attainable," Smith tells Time Out. "But when we take the time to remember the history, the journey and give voice to the water as our mother, something sexy happens. An awakening. A return. A new new. That’s sexy. And that’s available to all of us. All the time."
MAMA's goal is to "awaken audiences to their deep, inherent connection to water." Fusing music with personal accounts, the experience at Gramercy Theatre will invite audiences to consider water as a living organism that is trying to communicate with us, not just an inanimate, lifeless resource.
World Water Day, which was established by the United Nations, is observed on March 22 and aims to educate people on water-related issues. Although you might think that the water crisis is mostly going to affect developing countries, places like the U.S., Australia and Spain are straining their fresh water resources due to extensive agricultural activity, per the World Wildlife Fund, meaning New Yorkers, too, should be tapped in.
MAMA's World Water Day will be hosted in partnership with the U.S. Water Alliance, Daughters for Earth, Food & Water Watch, BioBat, Columbia Climate School and Columbia Water Center.
The World Water Day concert will take place from 3pm until 9:30pm. You can get tickets to the free event here.