NJ Arts Events Will Celebrate 2022 'Day Of Racial Healing'

Newark NJ

06 January, 2022

7:04 AM

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NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of a Patch community member. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. The Creating Change Network, a program hosted by New Jersey Theatre Alliance and ArtPride New Jersey that aims to build a more equitable, just, and anti-racist arts community in New Jersey has partnered with the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center at Rutgers University - Newark to curate a line-up of arts events celebrating the National Day of Racial Healing. The National Day of Racial Healing, a nationwide program coordinated by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation takes place January 18, 2022. Arts events focused on the theme of "Racial Healing in Action" will occur between January 16 and February 11, 2022 in south, central, and northern New Jersey. Events include both in-person and virtual visual art exhibitions, theatre, dance, and music performances, community workshops, panel discussions, and film screenings. A complete listing is below. "The National Day of Racial Healing is a critical platform enabling individuals and organizations across the country to participate in the recognition that awareness and action are imperative to healing our nation's racial crisis. This opportunity for our arts community to participate, supports our goal of creating change and moving this conversation forward to transform our workplace and how we engage with each other," says Donna Walker-Kuhne, Senior Advisor, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Chair of the Creating Change Steering Committee. "It has been a pleasure to partner with the Creating Change Network," says Sharon Stroye, Director of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Center and Director of Public Engagement in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University - Newark. "The mission of the TRHT Center at Rutgers University -Newark is to draw on the methodologies and strategies of the humanities and the arts within a social justice framework, where RU-N and diverse community partners can engage in an arc of interactive programming designed to change the narrative about race and race relations in Newark and beyond." Launched in Spring 2021 with the Creating Change Virtual Symposium, attended by more than 550 arts leaders, the Creating Change Network offers ongoing roundtables and workshops, in-person accountability check-ins, and other collaborative efforts. The programs of the Creating Change Network are guided by a steering committee, chaired by Donna Walker-Kuhne (Senior Advisor, Community Engagement at NJPAC), and representing arts administrators, artists, and leaders of social justice organizations. The activities of the Creating Change Network are supported by the Grunin Foundation. NJ ARTS COMMUNITY NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING EVENTS LISTINGS Sing for Justice: Intergenerational Community Sing-alongSunday, January 16, 2021, 2:30pmChildrenSong of New JerseyIn-person at 204 Wayne Ave, Haddonfield, NJ 08033Live Streamed at: https://www.facebook.com/ChildrenSongNo reservations required for this free event. Learn more: https://childrensong.org/ ChildrenSong of New Jersey will host an intergenerational community sing-along. All are invited to lift their voices together in songs centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The purpose of this sing-along is to promote awareness, hope, and conversation through communal singing. The event is wheelchair accessible, free and open to the public. Participants must wear a mask. Art Against Racism: Manifesting Beloved CommunityOpening Reception and Conversation: Sunday, January 16, 4 - 6 pmExhibition Dates: January 11, 2022 to February 26, 2022 West Windsor Arts Council52 Alexander Rd, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550; 3535 US-1, Princeton, NJ 08540Learn more about this free event: https://westwindsorarts.org/ Art Against Racism and West Windsor Arts Council present "Manifesting Beloved Community" a juried art exhibition exploring the relationship of community health with race, racism, and efforts to create an antiracist society. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Beloved Community" represents a global vision where all people share in the wealth of a healed planet. The juror is esteemed artist Sonia E. Barrett. Born in the UK of Jamaican and German parentage, Barrett grew up in Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Cyprus, and the UK. She studied Literature at the University of St Andrews Scotland and her MFA at Transart Institute Berlin/New York. Barrett is a MacDowell fellow and has been recognized by the Premio Ora prize, NY Art-Slant showcase for sculpture, and the Neo Art PrizeArt that speaks to or re-envisions society's transformation into a world of healthy people, relationships, and communities in personal or public contexts are to be exhibited in the galleries at West Windsor Arts in Princeton Junction, at Whole World Arts at MarketFair Shopping Center and online at Artagainstracism.org. An opening reception featuring a virtual conversation with the juror will take place in a hybrid format on Sunday January 16, 2022. We Will Move: Dancing our Way to Justice and HealingTuesday, January 18, 2022, TIMECaritas Program of Holy Family ParishView on Facebook live at: https://www.facebook.com/HolyFamilyParishNewBrunswickCaptioned in Spanish and English"We Will Move: Dancing our way to justice and healing" is a rebroadcast of a 2021 Hispanic Heritage Month virtual presentation by a youth folkloric dance group. Throughout the pandemic, the Caritas Program of Holy Family Parish created regular #TraumaInformedTuesday posts on social media as part of the organization's commitment to promoting and facilitating a more trauma-informed community. Organizers will draw a connection for the rebroadcast between the danza group, the legacy of MLK Jr, and the shared histories of Black and Latinx communities using creative expressions to confront racism, health inequities, and other social injustices. Youth Bias Task Force Student Art ExhibitionVirtual Reception and workshop, Tuesday, January 18, 4pmExhibition Dates: December 23, 2021 to February 8, 2022Montclair Art Museum 3 South Mountain, Montclair, NJ 07042Learn more and reserve free tickets to the reception and workshop: https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/exhibition/youth-bias-task-force-student-art-exhibitionThe Montclair Art Museum has partnered with the NJ Division on Civil Rights to support their Youth Bias Task Force Student Competition with a Youth Bias Task Force Student Art Exhibition of the student's submissions. There will be 44 artworks displayed around the themes of racial justice and the LGBTQ+ community. A virtual reception for the 175+ students who participated will include a virtual tour of the exhibit and an artist-led art workshop themed 'Healing Through Art' over Zoom. Live captioning and sign language interpretation will be present on Zoom; the exhibition at MAM is wheelchair accessible. Perkins Center Racial Healing SeriesThursday, January 13, 2pm - Our Stories: Brave Conversations on RaceMonday, January 17, Time TBA - MLK Day Workshop: Six Words To Discuss Racial HealingTuesday, January 18, 7pm - Our Stories: Brave Conversations on RacePerkins Center for the Arts395 Kings Highway Moorestown, NJ and 30 Irvin Avenue, Collingswood, NJNo reservation or purchase necessary for these free events.Follow Perkins Center social media (@perkinscenter) for updates and informationPerkins Center is dedicated to promoting positive, transformational, and sustainable change by discussing the historical and contemporary effects of racism in our communities. Through Arts programming Perkins Center will host multi-generational, racially diverse programs and workshops to promote discussion and healing. Sign Language interpretation & listening devices upon request; wheelchair accessible. #RIFT: A Play Via Text MessageAny time during the week of January 17Luna StageSign up for this free experience: www.lunatage.org/riftTwo real-life brothers—one a convicted murderer, the other a playwright; one a member of the alt-right, the other an A.O.C-type progressive. Luna Stage presents the World Premiere of #RIFT: A Play Via Text Message, a form-bending theatrical memoir exploring how we bridge America's cultural divides. Standing in Solidarity SeriesAny time during the week of January 17New Jersey Performing Arts CenterView the recordings: https://www.njpac.org/series/standing-in-solidarity/#conversations NJPAC in partnership with PSEG produces a social justice series which is part of our Standing in Solidarity initiative we developed after the murder of George Floyd. The purpose of this series is to bring our community together and to encourage everyone to take part in transforming our landscape to build an anti-racist culture in our arts sectors and to encourage everyone to take part in the movement to ensure civil rights for all. Healing Through Acting Tuesday, January 18th, 8pm St. Babs Historic Estate 321 North Delsea Drive, Cape May CH, NJ 08210Free event. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/StBabs/ A live multi-media showcase on January 18th by award-winning performer Will Keenan on-site & live-streamed from the historic Goshen, NJ estate known as a stop on the Underground Railroad and which houses the only enslaved woman buried in a "white cemetery" in New Jersey. To be followed by a community conversation with attendees in-person and virtually. Wheelchair Accessible. Healing through Indigenous Music and SongWednesday, January, 19 2021, 7pmRedhawk Native American Arts Council Learn more at www.redhawkcouncil.org Stream for free via zoom at: https://bit.ly/3pslkrqMeeting ID: 871 2868 5137; PW: 469529This virtual program will share diverse ways indigenous people share healing through our instruments and songs. The program will be hosted by Cliff Matias of the Redhawk Native American Council and will feature special guest Dra. T'Karima Ticitl, PhD, CM, LM, Partera (Xicana Indigenous). The InterpreterWednesday, January 19, 7:30pm The Theater ProjectPurchase $20 tickets: https://www.thetheaterproject.org/the-interpreter-tixinfo.htmlA work of theatrical fiction by Joseph Vitale that explores the complex relationship between Hermann Goering – Reichsmarschall of Germany and leading Nazi on trial for war crimes – and his interpreter, a 23-year-old Jewish U.S. Army private. The play is about the Nuremberg trials, but it also turns a mirror on ourselves. This virtual presentation is followed by a discussion with the author. Captioning available. What's Going OnThursday, January 20 - January 22Progressive Theatre CompanyPurchase $5 tickets: https://www.progressivetheater.com/ What's Going On is a series of interviews stitched together by an intimate performance cabaret of song. The interviews focus on the progress being made within the theater industry as it relates to race and racism and how it affects communities, primarily those that have been marginalized. Closed Captioning available. We Are Still HumanSaturday January 22nd at 7 pmPaterson Performing Arts Development Council Reserve free tickets for this virtual event at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-are-still-human-tickets-227788309967 Over the past three decades, the number of women incarcerated has increased by eight hundred percent. This increase can be attributed to untreated mental illness, substance abuse, social and economic disparities, and tougher sentencing laws for women's drug offenses. However, the current correctional system does not take into consideration the gendered needs of women who are incarcerated and how their reentry into society can be hindered by unresolved grief and loss. Paterson Performing Arts Development Council (PPADC) Proudly Presents: "We Are Still Human" written and performed by award-winning actress, poet, playwright and Rutgers University Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Dr. Helena D. Lewis. We Are Still Human explores through narrative storytelling, poems, and monologues the marginalized voices of incarcerated women. The performance will be followed by a panel discussion with the playwright and an esteemed list of guests who will explore the themes of the play, how they intersect with National Day of Racial Healing efforts and what we can and should do to balance justice and equality for the women at risk. Virtual presentation will be captioned. The AssignmentSaturday, January 22, 2:00 pmMeta Theatre Company Learn more: https://fb.me/e/2Pb7HCGqG Tickets are free, but donations supporting Meta's re-entry program working with formerly incarcerated women in New Jersey are appreciated: https://www.themetatheatrecompany.org/book-us/This documentary-style virtual show tells the story of what happens on a college campus when a Black student, Cameron, presents her assignment about Critical Race Theory in class. There is a violent reaction from a white student, Jamie, that escalates in campus police getting involved and removing Cameron from the classroom. The audience will be taken on a journey of what happens next between the students on campus, the media, Dean Adams, a Black woman, and Professor Gilman, a white woman who created the critical race theory assignment. The actors then lead the audience in a post-show discussion about how to assess power, truth, resistance, and progress. This event will be captioned. African Dance & Drum Class and PerformanceJanuary 23, 2022, 2:30pmCenter for Modern Dance Education 84 Euclid Avenue, Hackensack, NJFree event. Join in person or livestream at: https://cmde.org/feel-the-beat/The Center for Modern Dance Education (CMDE) will present a hybrid (combined in-person and live-stream) African Dance & Drum class and short performance.The presentation will include an all-levels African Dance & Drum class led by CMDE instructor and Ivory Coast native YahYa Kamate, accompanied by an additional professional dancer-drummer, and feature a short performance by the artists and additional dancers. People of all ages, including those with disabilities, are welcome to attend at no cost. Venue is wheelchair accessible and instructors are experienced in integrating people with disabilities in dance classes/performances. Contact [email protected] for more information about specific access needs. The Music of Ignatius Sancho: The Arts as Black Resistance in 18th-Century London January 25, 2021, 7:30PMThe Raritan Players View livestream at: https://go.rutgers.edu/NMCstreamThis program, to be performed on period instruments, demonstrates how the Black British writer Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780) used the arts as a vehicle of Black resistance. Sancho is known today primarily as the author of an extensive correspondence, published posthumously, which used a sentimental, "conversable" literary style to criticize and disrupt the dehumanization of Black people in Britain as well as the British Empire as an engine of the African slave trade. Less widely known are the books that Sancho actually prepared for publication himself: five volumes of music—one book of songs and four of instrumental dance pieces published in the 1760s and 1770s—which made him the first Black man to publish his original musical compositions. In this concert with commentary, the Raritan Players demonstrate how Sancho drew on the musical tropes of polite, upper-class society to awaken the British public to the evils of slavery and call for their adherence to a higher moral standard. Accommodations available for the hearing-impaired. The Memory Builds Monument Film ScreeningFebruary 11, 2022Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts CenterAvailable to view Online for 24 Hours at: https://bit.ly/3pM9mT7Tickets $15Learn more: http://njfilmfest.com/Compelled by the vivid memories of the legendary Club Matinee by aging citizens, this film leaps into the music, the art, and the community of Houston's historic 5th Ward. The doc highlights the impossible to ignore cultural and social challenges of African-Americans in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s living in the South. The through-line of this story showcases how the music of these eras played a part in defining generations and bringing people of all ethnicities and backgrounds together and how memories, at the verge of being lost, can be shared to propel the future. Wheelchair Accessible. Don't forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.