As part of its 30th anniversary, Squonk performed and presented workshops in 18 Pittsburgh-area communities as part of “Squonk in the Neighborhood” this year, reaching 20,000 audience members.
Started in 2021, “Squonk in the Neighborhood” creates a safe and inclusive post-pandemic celebration of public life, civic space and community connection. This year, Squonk performed Hand to Hand, a joyous, participatory event that brings audiences together for a humorous, uplifting visual extravaganza. Propelled by Squonk’s rollicking music, the show features two giant purple puppet hands, designed so the audience can grab the rigging and be part of the show. The performances were complemented by residency activities and STEAM-based workshops that help audiences develop critical skills and creativity to become engaged citizens.
“Squonk's performance tied in perfectly to the heart of what OpenStreetsPGH is about— creating people-centered spaces and truly unique experiences on our city streets,” said Kéya Joseph, Director of Events, Bike PGH.
“Squonk made our Earth Day event something truly unique, memorable, inspirational, amazing,” said Matt Peters, Community Garden Manager, Hazelwood Initiative.
Our 2022 engagements kicked off April 23 in Hazelwood with a full performance of Hand to Hand as part of an Earth Day Celebration hosted by the Hazelwood Initiative. Other full performances included Kids to Parks Day on May 21 at Oakland’s Schenley Plaza in partnership with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, the City of Pittsburgh’s 2022 Independence Day Celebration on July 4 at Point State Park, and the Hands-on Science Showdown on September 13 at the Rachel Carson Bridge, presented by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Science Center.
Squonk also led hands-on STEAM workshops and interactive play with 25-foot-tall hands, as well as presentations about Squonk’s history and creative process in:
Bloomfield (with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh)
Carnegie (with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania)
Duquesne (with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania)
Garfield (with Assemble)
Lawrenceville (with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania)
McKees Rocks (with Focus on Renewal, Sto-Rox Neighborhood Corporation, Father Ryan's Art Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of WPA, McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation, and McKees Rocks VFD Station 189)
Millvale (with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania)
Natrona Heights (with Artist Bill Godfrey and Natrona Community Park)
Plum (with Devereux Health/TCVCS)
Penn Hills (with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania)
Strip District (with BikePGH for Open Streets PGH event)
Turtle Creek (with Propel East)
Vandergrift (with Vandergrift Artfest, Vandergrift Public Library and Vandergrift Improvement Program)
Wilmerding (with Westinghouse Arts Academy)
Photos by Heather Mull and John Altdorfer.
