PARADE Presents Whoop Dee Doo at Windmuller Park Project is a live variety show directed by the artist collective “Whoop Dee Doo,” in collaboration with local youth and community groups. In a time when human rights horrors dominate headlines around the world, a project celebrating unconditional love and difference feels more important than ever.

Using Windmuller Park and Bandshell as venue and inspiration, the project celebrates this heavily-used public space and the diverse cultures of its visitors with the people of Queens. Hosted by outlandish pop-culture inspired characters, the show will connect audiences and performers through artmaking and performance. A wide variety of surrounding arts and cultural groups will contribute “acts” and collaborate on new pieces to create a truly unique show that captures the beauty and character of the Woodside community. Current partners include McManus Irish Dance, Tibetan Community Center of NY & NJ, Woodside Dance Troupe, Bula Arts & Culture, and Queens Music Academy. Additional partners will be announced throughout the summer.

PARADE is also coordinating with local youth organizations and schools to recruit an ensemble of Queens teens to work alongside Whoop Dee Doo artists to shape the structure of the show, create original dialogue, movement, visual art, and soundscapes, perform and work backstage. The project will be a truly unique, cross-disciplinary, and crazy-creative process that's like nothing our participants will have done before, developing creative problem solving and teamwork skills. Teens will gain leadership skills and will be able to add an impressive project to their college applications.

The end result will connect diverse yet often isolated populations in this neighborhood of over 45,000 people through the artmaking and performance. Importantly, the neighborhood will also get the show of their lives—and all for free.