Episode six of the excellent FABnyc art Work podcast is on the topic of Cultural Equity and they based the episode around a Long Table discussion FABnyc co-hosted with PS122 and The Loisaida Center where we discussed the NYC Cultural plan, and tried to unpack the term “Culturally Specific Organizations.”
You can subscribe to the art Work podcast on iTunes and get more information about PS122’s Long Table series.
Note from the Editor: Before the staged, musical version of Jack Charles V The Crown by ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, there was the documentary film Bastardy. Weaving together a personal story of fame, addiction and loss, Bastardy gives an unfiltered lens into the life and past of Uncle Jack Charles. Below is the official theatrical trailer of Bastardy as well as an interview with Uncle Jack on his experience of being among Australia’s “Stolen Generation” We recommend viewing the below to provide a little context in who Jack Charles is. His story is an important one for both Australians and Americans to hear and we hope you’ll join us March 22-25 at New York Lives Arts to do so.
Note from Uncle Jack: Shortly after the screening of a 56-minute version of my documentary, Bastardy, on the ABC, I started to receive, almost immediately, feedback from a number of sources… testament that my story had hit that ‘sweet spot’ in the minds and hearts of ordinary viewers, in Melbourne and nationwide. It had impressed so many people, from all walks of life, that many were urged to contact me by phone or postcard, others content to wait for a chance meet, face to face. On the streets, on a tram, bus, or train… each one practically falling arse over tit to engage, talk and thank me for the experience. I thoroughly enjoy the rapport and support offered by complete strangers, and understand and honour their reaching out to me.
It came as no surprise when Rachael Maza, the Artistic Director for ILBIJERRI, rang to talk about taking my story to its rightful place – the stage, the theatre. The mob at ILBIJERRI were always aware of the rise in my profile and standing in the performing arts arena, so it wasn’t long before I got the call to arms from Rachael and ILBIJERRI – Bold Black ‘n’ Brilliant! Rachael had roped in my old friend from the Pram Factory days, John Romeril, to be my dramaturg. T’was easy to re-connect to the man who’d written the original play, Bastardy… I expect we’ll do even better this time round. This is one very important piece of theatre that I am so anxious and ready to do. I reckon that people from the arts and performing industries have come to the realisation that I share the writing with Romeril, writing a couple of the monologues myself, and performing clean, without any giggle-juice or drugs to enhance my presence on stage. Jack Charles v The Crown is the culmination of years of frustration and rejection from bureaucracy, both black and white.
On January 8th we will be taking a break from the Coil madness to co-host the day-long Umyuangvigkaq, “a place to gather ideas”, in the form of a Long-table durational Sewing Bee. Here we will stitch together a quilt of conversation, ideas, and fabrics. Every 75 minutes we’ll shift a conversation to a new critical topic engaging the intersections of the Indigenous with contemporary American culture.
In an effort to share in learning and knowledge, here are some readings the provocateurs suggest:
Find out more info and RSVP for the event on the Sewing Bee page.
The Long Table Series has been a platform for shared learning. In the past, we’ve walked away with new perspectives, found renewed directions for our work, and connected to others in a way that fostered our collective growth around topics. Each discussion has been incredibly different and gave the collective differing outcomes.
As we dive deeper into the idea of shared learning, we’re sharing some of the readings that have been informing us and encourage you to do the same in the comments section. We will continuously update the post with the comprehensive list.
Art + Technology Long Table on Nov. 29, 2016, co-hosted with TED and Kickstarter:
The End of Art by Seth Godin
Technology and the Democratization of the Media
Cultural Equity Long Table on Nov. 7, 2016, co-hosted with FABnyc and Loisaida, Inc.
CreateNYC: A Cultural Plan for All New Yorkers
Making Sense of Cultural Equity
by Clara Inés Schuhmacher, Katie Ingersoll, Fari Nzinga and Ian David Moss
Americans for the Arts’ Statement on Cultural Equity
Diversity is a Problem
by Melissa Hillman via Bitter Gertrude
Why I’m Done Talking About Diversity
by Marlon James via Literary Hub
Longtime PS122 artist Yehuda Duenyas and his company, Mindride LLC, have proved that once again #lovewins as they win “Outstanding Commercial” at the Creative Arts Emmys alongside the Ad Council and R/GA. Love Has No Labels, the public service announcement promoting diversity and inclusion, has been viewed over 160 million times online. According to the Ad Council, it is the second most viewed social and community activism video of all time. Congrats Yehuda and team!
For the next 3 years, Yehuda will be working with Performance Space 122 to develop PS122 Virtual, a program designed to consider what it means to be live in an online realm. Keep an eye out in 2017 and beyond…