JUST ARTS: A CELEBRATION OF ARTS AND ACTIVISM Will Stream Online Beginning October 9

Four DMV-area arts leaders will co-curate and assemble a 4-week series of free streaming programs celebrating BIPOC artists and the tradition of social protest, presented by Olney Theatre Center. Kicking off on Friday, October 9, and running through October 30, each installment will highlight a different pillar of social justice: "Accessibility," "Rights," "Equity," and "Participation."

Co-curators Chil Kong (Artistic Director of Adventure Theatre/MTC), Kevin McAllister (actor and Artistic Director of ArtsCentric, Inc), Nicole A. Watson (Associate Artistic Director at Round House Theatre), and Elena Velasco (Artistic Director of Convergence Theatre) were invited by Olney Theatre's Artistic Director to create a program around the theme of performance and social justice, responding to the social upheaval of the past summer and highlighting BIPOC artists during the period leading up to this fall's general election. Originally conceived as a free, all-day outdoor festival, the program shifted to an online streaming format as the continuing pandemic conditions made that impossible.

Co-curator Kevin McAllister described the event: "Just Arts is an acknowledgment of every voice often seen as only the deliverer of someone else's message but never the creator of one's own message. It is the chance for artists of color to create, produce, and celebrate their own artistry while actively exposing the viewing community to the knowledge and power of the pillars of social justice. It's a collection of undervalued voices coming together to actively engage the community in making the world a better place."

"We hope that DMV artists will, use their voices and creative energies to speak to the moment we are in and inspire and invite all of us to work together for a better future," added co-curator, Nicole A. Watson.

Co-curator Elena Velasco explained the connection to activism: "Art is filled with messages that can and should incite us all to action. I don't believe there is "art for art's sake." That would be art without a soul, one created by the privileged who has nothing to gain or lose. There are reasons that artists are targeted by fascist and authoritarian regimes - they know the power of art to viscerally impact one's conscience and sense of morality. It is no great mystery why for so long the white narrative has been the center of the art that is shared in this nation. It has reinforced status and norms. Whose story is told states a great deal about where societal values lie. Therefore, we are centering the narratives of artists of color who must be at the nexus of our nation at this critical point in our existence."

Artists who have signed-on to the project include dancer/choreographer Cristina "Macho" Camacho, theatre artists Vaugh Midder, McAllister's ArtsCentric Inc., vocalists Jade Jones, Rayshun Lamar, Nova Payton, musical group Let It Flow, dancer Maria Simpkins and digital artist Jen White-Johnson.

A final schedule and streaming details will be released in late-September.

Tentatively the Just Arts schedule will be:
October 9 - "Rights" curated by Elena Velasco
October 16 - "Participation" curated by Kevin McAllister
October 23 - "Equity" curated by Nicole A. Wallace
October 30 - "Access" curated by Chil Kong

Summarizing the motivation for presenting the event, "The twin pandemics of coronavirus and racism we're facing give predominantly white cultural institutions like ours an opportunity to revolutionize the way they work," said Artistic Director Jason Loewith. "For OTC, that means decentering my privileged role as curator and inviting others with a different point of view and background to share in building our theater's future. We want OTC to matter to everyone in our community, and this is our first public step in making the table bigger."

To post a comment, you must register and login.