Welcome to the UNCK House!

UNCK House participants demonstrating how to “vent” in the chimney

On February 7, something really special happened in a middle school auditorium in Brooklyn. Nineteen fourth and fifth graders invited their families into a world they had been building for weeks—one song, one scene, one idea at a time.They called it “Welcome to the UNCK House.”

And it was exactly that: an invitation. Not just into a performance—but into a process.

The UNCK House wasn’t a traditional musical. It was something much more alive: an immersive, student-devised piece where each “room” of the house held something different—an emotion, a challenge, a tool for navigating the world.

In the Kitchen, they learned how to name what’s hard.
In the Basement, they learned how to face their fears.
In the Chimney, they learned how to vent and process big emotions.
In the Study, they explored what it means to ask for help.
In the Living Room, they practiced showing up for each other.

The final presentation wasn’t about perfection, it was about sharing a process for emotional regulation with their families and friends. There was no last-minute scramble to get all of the choreography perfect or memorize everyline of text - the show was all about real-time exploration, inclusion, and discovery in front of a live audience.

And then—just when you thought the experience couldn’t get more full—it kept going. After the performance, students traveled together to see Aladdin on Broadway and got to stay in the theater after the show for a talk-back with most of the cast members!

A massive shoutout to Tsilala Brock, who created the UNCK House concept and curriculum and facilitated the program!

The UNCK House is a reminder of what arts education can be. Not just a performance. Not just a class.But a space where young people take risks, build something together, and start to understand the power of their own voice!

Photography by Josh Silk below: