What a Start to 2026! Community Engagement Sparking Tears of Joy

I want to begin this newsletter with a story of pure joy.

This quarter, for the first time, our partner St. Peter's Episcopal Church in the heart of Peekskill hosted New Era Creative Space’s Yoga and Nutrition classes for adults. The nutrition session was led by Josephine Quiocho of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s SNAP-Ed New York, Hudson Valley Region.

In between yoga and the nutrition class, something powerful happened.

Our adult guests—who had entered as complete strangers—were laughing, talking loudly, and connecting as if they had known each other for years. By the end of the session, they weren’t just participants—they were a community.  Seeing this engagement, it brought me to tears of joy!  

The group reflected the beautiful diversity of Peekskill: young and old, men and women, Black, White, Latino, and Asian. Some were longtime NECS supporters, some were members of St. Peter’s, one woman joined after seeing a flyer while walking through Peekskill, and another participant traveled all the way from the Bronx (about 45 minutes commute) after seeing a free yoga class posted on Facebook.

This is what New Era Creative Space is all about.

We deliver creative programming that strengthens communities and changes lives—one event, one connection, one act of kindness, one smile at a time.

There is so much more to celebrate from this incredible start to the year.

Theatre—Where It All Began

Theatre is at the heart of NECS. When our Executive Director and Founder, Ridvan Idara, sought opportunities for her son, she had to travel to New York City—an experience that was both far and expensive. From that challenge, a vision was born: to create a theatre company right here in Peekskill.

That vision became New Era Creative Space.

This February, we brought that vision to life with two phenomenal productions: Show Way and Change Reaction. These performances were more than just plays—they were purposeful, empowering our students and audiences to find their voices and become agents of change.

And the impact was undeniable.

From the performances to the set and production design, to the dedication of our directors and cast, the experience was described again and again as joyful, inspiring, and unforgettable.

Expanding further Into STEAM

For the first time, NECS proudly co-sponsored the 18th Annual Engineering is Fun event. This initiative sparked excitement in students around science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), while also raising funds and expanding awareness of NECS within the broader community.

Mentoring Into Manhood

This quarter also marked the launch of our newly revamped boys’ empowerment program, Mentoring into Manhood.

Since its mid-March kickoff, the program has already proven to be a powerful success. Through the guidance of dedicated mentors, young men are exploring what it truly means to grow into manhood—gaining confidence, character, and exposure to new opportunities and experiences.

Leadership & Representation

In March, our Executive Director began a 90-day sabbatical. During this time, I have the honor of serving as Interim Executive Director.

Leading this organization—alongside such passionate professionals, volunteers, parents, and students—has been both humbling and inspiring. Together, we continue to push forward our mission to change the world through creativity and community.

In this role, I also had the privilege of representing NECS as a keynote speaker at the Top 100 Most Powerful Black Women Summit and at the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce’s Celebrating Women in Business event. These opportunities allowed us to elevate the NECS brand and expand awareness of the transformative work happening right here in our community.

And there is so much more wonderfulness that occurred in the first quarter.  In the next quarter join us for more NECS fabulousness including our Creativity Ignited Benefit on June 14, 2026 at The Garrison featuring Keynote Speaker Penn Badgely.  You do not want to miss this event!  All are welcome!  Register and/or sponsor here today!