Reflecting on the Last Quarter of 2025

4th Quarter Newsletter

Dear NECS Community,

Happy New Year!

With 2026 underway, we are reflecting on a landmark year for New Era Creative Space. This newsletter edition celebrates the significant progress we achieved in 2025, successes that would not have been possible without the dedication of our students, staff, volunteers, partners, and donors. Thank you for your continued investment in our mission.

We wrapped up our year with two beautiful community performances: our students proudly sang at Peekskill’s Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 6th, and we celebrated the end of the year at our space with over 110 people in attendance, delicious food from members of our community, as well as performances and presentations by our students. These events captured the spirit of creativity and community that defined our year.

This Fall, we saw unprecedented enrollment across all our community offerings. We enrolled 132 students in programs from the previous semester and launched six new after-school programs. We provided six after-school workshops within the local school district, one at The Children’s Village, and a new partnership with Arc Westchester, which allowed us to pilot a theatre program for people with disabilities.

We expanded our commitment to family support by launching several monthly initiatives, namely Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) Talks, a Book Club, and a Poetry Workshop, designed to strengthen the entire family unit as a creative foundation for our students.

Introducing the New Era Media Lab

Our most significant new endeavor this year was the launch of the New Era Media Lab.

The Media Lab is a professional creative incubator within NECS, designed to equip young media artists and entrepreneurs with real-world skills. This is a hands-on learning and earning environment where our young filmmakers, photographers, podcasters, and audio producers apply their talents to real-world projects. Through direct collaboration with local non-profits and community organizations, our students produce compelling video and audio content that tells their unique stories and showcases their impact. This lab is truly building the next generation of creative storytellers and entrepreneurs.

We are pleased to announce that construction has begun on our Media lab space, which will become a hub for music, film, and audio production. We hope that the new lab will be ready to launch in the Spring.

Deepening Our Community Ties

Collaboration and the arts were at the heart of our community engagement this year. We partnered with Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) for a fantastic playwriting workshop. Our physical space was a vibrant hub for local artists, hosting approximately nine exhibits this year and attracting creative talent and art lovers.

A Heartfelt Thank You

None of these milestones, the enrollment growth, the launch of the Media Lab, the introduction of new empowering workshops, or the vibrant community events, would have been possible without your unwavering belief in our mission.

Thank you for being part of our community and for investing your talents, time, resources, and passion into New Era Creative Space. You are the reason we can continue to be a safe, inclusive hub that empowers young people to find their voice and lead.

We look forward to an even more impactful 2026!

With immense gratitude and wishing you a happy and healthy New Year,

Ridvan Idara, Founder & Executive Director, New Era Creative Space

The NECS Team

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