Free Immersive Experience Explores Fair Park's History, Presented By Artstillery, July 1-23

The history of Fair Park comes with a troubling narrative of racism, segregation, and government neglect. Artstillery, a local arts-based nonprofit, heard the stories of the neighborhood residents and are giving them a platform to be told. Through hundreds of hours of interviews, Artstillery has created a brand-new, free of charge immersive experience titled, In Spite of History. This story will take audience members through the 1960s to today as they travel around Fair Park, experiencing the joy, heartbreak, and humanity of this historic neighborhood.

Six months of community interviews, research, and collaboration weave stories into a community driven performance that will weave the audience to the Natural History Museum to the Leonhardt Lagoon to the Cotton Bowl to the Tower Building to the front of the Women's Building. Main character Izzy simply wants to go to the fair, her grandpa Julius questions the destruction of the Hall of Negro Life at Fair Park, and the family has an important conversation about their own place in history, present and the future.

Projection mapping on the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Tower Building, and the interior of the Grand Place turns these Fair Park buildings into a canvas for uplifting narratives. Through this experience, Artstillery amplifies the historical voices of the community, land, and buildings to create space for discussion and racial healing.

The future is big enough (or has space enough) for all of us, as long as we acknowledge our history and don't repeat our failures of the past.

In Spite of History is presented in partnership with Fair Park First, Broadway Dallas, and many neighborhood organizations, including the Mill City Community Association, Cornerstone Baptist Church, the Dolphin Heights Neighborhood Association, and the State Fair of Texas.

In Spite of History will play Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. from July 1-23, with an additional performance on Thursday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. To reserve a free ticket, audience members can visit www.Artstillery.org.

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