ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER AVA DUVERNAY TO KEYNOTE BIG PICTURE LEARNING ANNUAL CONFERENCE
BIG BANG 2015
Big Picture Learning (BPL) is excited to announce that celebrated director
Ava DuVernay will be the keynote speaker of BPL's Annual Conference,
Big Bang 2015.
The theme for this year's Big Bang --
"Honoring the Past | Creating the Future" - was selected both in honor of Big Picture Learning's 20th anniversary and-given the location of this year's conference (New Orleans, LA) -as a reflection on lessons educators might glean from the Big Easy's recovery over the last 10 years. While DuVernay is most well known for having directed last year's Academy Award nominated motion picture Selma, her next project will be a murder mystery set in New Orleans amidst the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
DuVernay's passion for filmmaking was realized in much the same way in which Big Picture Learning students pursue their own passions. The core of BPL's philosophy is that students learn best when subject matter is relevant to them and can be explored in the real world through mentoring relationships with community members. "I tell the stories that are of interest to me," states DuVernay. "I didn't start out thinking that I could ever make films. I started out being a film lover, loving films, and wanting to have a job that put me close to them and close to filmmakers and close to film sets. I didn't go to film school. I got my education on the set as a niche publicist in the film industry." How appropriate then that she will be one of the highlights of this important conference, held in this historic city. (The Tavis Smiley Show. October 9, 2012).
|
New Sanfoka Sessions to be offered at Big Bang 2015
BPL is pleased to announce a new facet of the Big Bang conference this year. Attendees will be invited to participate in a new and exciting feature called Sankofa Sessions. Topics for this offsite program include:  - Diving into a New Orleans School - a visit to the New Orleans Net Charter School (soon to be a new BPL Inspired School) facing a significant challenge.
- New Orleans Music Tour - A walking tour highlighting recorded music from the early 1900s to the modern era.
- 13 Lessons - Storied theater work presented by Ashé Cultural Center
- Civil Rights Tour - Take the tour that foreshadowed the nationwide Civil Rights Movement.
- Taken - A choreographic work
(presented by Ashé) inspired by the historical epidemic of the absentee father in African American families and their communities. - Krewe Float - a tour of a Krewe float in the making. We will meet Krewe members and get a firsthand look at the creative process as it unfolds.
For complete information on these sessions please visit our online program at:
|
 Deadline for Early Bird Discount
for Big Bang less than one week away!
In order to get the Early-Bird Network registration discount, you must register by JUNE 1, 2015, to qualify for the rate of $725 per person (conference only, does not include travel or lodging) To register today for Big Bang 2015, go to:
|
