The Center for Arts & Culture of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation Announces the Launch of Project Protest: The Art of Revolution

Brooklyn, NY, September 17, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​Project Protest: The Art of Revolution, presented by The Center for Arts & Culture at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (Restoration), takes an unflinching look at how people and communities of African descent have responded to issues of inequality and social injustice through protests.  Project Protest: The Art of Revolution includes theatrical presentations, a music festival and salon, films and conversations, and a multi-venue exhibit entitled Power, Protest and Resistance: The Art of Revolution with over 100 visual artists.  The Center for Arts & Culture at Restoration highlights three major movements led by people of the African and Caribbean Diasporas that have, in fact, transcended local conversations and sparked national phenomena that have challenged systemic and institutionalized injustice and inequality, as it relates to Black lives.  This multidisciplinary initiative places the voice of the artist at the very center of this dialogue. 

As part of this initiative, we spotlight The Billie Holiday Theatre’s World Premiere, 12 Angry Men, directed by Tony Award-winner George Faison and arranged for theatrical presentation from the book 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today, edited by Gregory S. Parks and Matthew W. Hughey and published by The New Press.

"The Center for Arts & Culture at Restoration is ripe to lead a conversation on how communities of African and Caribbean descent have responded to social, educational, and economic injustices and disparities through protests. While Bedford Stuyvesant navigates rapid growth, we also navigate 33% of residents living in poverty, the highest percentage of adult prison admissions in Brooklyn, and one of the highest rates of Stop-and-Frisk in NYC. Restoration has an almost 50-year year history of not only making and presenting art with world-class artists, but of linking arms with our community and tackling highly relevant and timely issues using the arts to spark conversations, rewrite narratives, and affirm the beauty and dignity of a people."

Indira Etwaroo, Executive Director of The Center for Arts & Culture at Restoration

Hashtags: #ProjectProtest and #12AngryMen

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit: www.restorationart.org

THEATER

12 Angry Men: World Premiere Theatrical Presentation

Launching the 2015-2016 Billie Holiday Theatre Season

In Partnership with The Kumble Theater, 1 University Place, Brooklyn, NY

The World Premiere of 12 Angry Men directed by Tony Award-winner George Faison and arranged for theatrical presentation from the book 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today, edited by Gregory S. Parks and Matthew W. Hughey and published by The New Press.  In an era of contentious debate about controversial police practices and, more broadly, the significance of implications of race throughout American life, including the protests that follow, 12 Angry Men is urgent, moving, and timely.  This theatrical presentation reveals some pointed truths about our nation, as a collective of African-American actors, represent a dozen African-American men from across the United States and their personal stories of being racially profiled. The presentation includes original projections by renowned artist and graphic designer Hollis King.

12 Angry Men Cast: John Amos, Jerome Preston Bates, Chuck Cooper, Jason Dirden, Nelsan Ellis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Dule Hill, Russell Hornsby, Dorian Missick, Roscoe Orman, Michael Potts, David John Washington, Victor Williams and more.

Dates: Thu, Oct 15 at 8PM | Fri, Oct 16 at 8PM | Sat, Oct 17 at 2PM and 8 PM | Sun, Oct 18 at 2PM

Pre-Show Talks: A pre-show talk is scheduled 90 minutes before each show led by one of the original writers of 12 Angry Men, social critics, journalists and historians.  Pre-show talks are in partnership with The New Press and The Civilly Disobedient.

Tickets for Show and Pre-Show Talks: $45 includes a VIP seat & backstage meet-and-greet |$35|$25|$15 at www.thebillieholiday.org

VISUAL ARTS

The Art of Revolution: Power, Protest and Resistance Opening Reception

In Partnership with Rush Arts Gallery

Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 7PM | The Skylight Gallery at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY

Free Admission

Featuring the work of over 50 New York City artists in multiple mediums at the historical Skylight Gallery.  Curated by Danny Simmons, Oshun Layne and Che Baraka.   

MUSIC

RestorationRocks! 2015

In Partnership with Bed-Stuy Alive!

Sat, Oct 10 between 12 and 5PM | Fulton Street and Marcy Avenue | Free Admission

Join us for RestorationRocks! 2015. Over the years, this outdoor festival has grown into a diverse, community celebration in the heart of Brooklyn that draws thousands from all over New York City.  Come experience some of the most exciting, innovative and socially-conscious musicians, including Rakim, widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled MCs of all time; genre-busting DUO 1804 ft. Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) and VAL-Inc; powerhouse vocalist, Sophia Ramos and her rock band; Brooklyn’s own American Idol Finalist, Qaasim Middleton; Kimberly Nichole from The Voice and more. Protest art will be presented by spoken word artists Mo Beasley, Liza Jessie Peterson, and David Mills.

Protest Music Salon

Fri, Oct 30 at 7PM | Skylight Gallery, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216

Tickets: $15, includes a complimentary glass of wine or beer | www.restorationart.org

Join us for an evening with Brooklyn-based musicians who come together to cover a soundscape of protest music.  Curated by Brooklyn’s own Maritri Garrett

LITERARY

A Book Brunch with Wendell Pierce: The Wind in the Reeds | Hosted by Terrance McKnight

Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 12PM 

Restoration | Skylight Gallery, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY

Tickets: $40, includes a complimentary book, a light brunch and mimosas | www.restorationart.org

Actor and Tony Award-winning producer Wendell Pierce, who starred in the HBO series The Wire and Treme, as well as feature films, including Selma, Ray, and Waiting to Exhale, was born in New Orleans, where his family still lives. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005, Pierce and his family found their home in tatters and their neighborhood of Pontchartrain Park destroyed. Heartbroken, but resilient, Pierce found a way to reignite his community’s hope and faith in their city through art, with a now-legendary production of Waiting for Godot staged in two of the city’s hardest-hit neighborhoods. Pierce’s new book The Wind in the Reeds unifies his family history with his lifelong passion for theater and music, showing the critical importance that art plays in the lifeblood of New Orleans, and the collaborative potential art has to help heal ourselves, our families, and our communities. Pierce talks about his story with WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight, at this special brunch event.

“Between the World and Me”: A Book Club Hosted by Dr. Brenda Greene

In Partnership with The Center for Black Literature, Medgar Evers College

Meeting One: Wed, Sept 30 at 7PM | The Skylight Gallery

Meeting Two: Wed, Oct 28 at 7PM | The Skylight Gallery

Reserve your space today – space is limited.  Includes a complimentary beverage 

Join a book discussion to lay the groundwork for a month of collective community reading. For this first session - BYOB (Bring Your Own Book: hardcopy, soft copy, or digital) - we'll launch our reading together with a community discussion.

In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis, including how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? 

CONVERSATIONS

It’s Bigger than Ferguson: Widening the Lens on Policed Communities

Hosted by The New Press

October 2015 (Visit www.restorationart.org for further details) | Skylight Gallery at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn

A timely conversation bringing together activists, authors, and advocates with the Brooklyn community hosted by The New Press, publisher of The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and The Ferguson Report.

The Politics of Black Life on Stage

October 2015 (Visit www.restorationart.org for further details) | Skylight Gallery at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn

A conversation bringing together pioneers in the arena of arts and the African American experience with Ruben Santiago Hudson (actor, director and playwright); Sonia Sanchez (poet and activist) and Peter Bailey (author and journalist) to look at the last several decades around the politics of Blackness in the world of arts.

12 Angry Men: Tell Us Your Story

The Kumble Theater, 1 University Place, Brooklyn, NY

Dates: Thu, Oct 15 at 6:30PM | Fri, Oct 16 at 6:30PM | Sat, Oct 17 at 12:30PM and 6:30PM | Sun, Oct 18 at 12:30PM – Talks are free and open to the public

Pre-Show Conversations: Each show begins with a pre-show conversation 90 minutes before each show led by one of the authors of 12 Angry Men, a social critic, or historian. 

A Partnership with The New Press and The Civilly Disobedient.

FILMS

“TREASURE: From Tragedy to Trans Justice, Mapping A Detroit Story”- A Film by Dream Hampton

In Partnership with Word*Rock*& Sword: A Festival Exploration of Women's Lives

Fri, Sep 18 at 7PM | Restoration Plaza, Multipurpose Room
The Film will be introduced by Emani Love. There will be a post screening Q and A.

Free Admission

Treasure is a feature documentary about nineteen year old trans woman Shelly 'Treasure' Hilliard whose murder involved police coercion, Jim Crow drug laws, the criminalization of sex work and transphobia. It is about a young Detroit trans community activated by her death, and her family, who are suing for justice.

Selma (2014) Directed by Ava DuVernay | PG13

Thu, Sept 24, 2015 at 7:30PM | Outdoor Plaza at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn

Free Admission

Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated in President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation was founded in 1967 through a dynamic mix of grassroots activism and the bipartisan support of the then Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Jacob Javits. Restoration remains highly relevant today through a host of evidence-based programs that encompass workforce development, access to benefits and social supports, financial literacy and counseling, health, environment, education, and arts and culture. Restoration serves some 50,000 people through these efforts annually. The Center for Arts & Culture at Restoration promotes the rich legacy of the African and Caribbean Diaspora, while using the arts as a vehicle for creative place-making, community enrichment and presenting art that seeks to strengthen democratic values, promote social justice and present stories that inform and impact our community. Home to such assets as the award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre, the historic Skylight Gallery, and Tony Award-winning Ronald K. Brown/Evidence Dance Company, the CAC serves Central Brooklyn and beyond through its multi-disciplinary arts instruction and year-round presenting programs.

The New Press, established in 1990 as a major alternative to the large, commercial publishers, is a not-for-profit publishing house operating in the public interest. The New Press aims to provide ideas and viewpoints underrepresented in the mass media and is dedicated to using its books to leverage social change. Its books provide a platform for leading reform arguments and provide resources for advocates working on the frontlines of change nationwide. The New Press’s longtime publishing work includes books by some of the leading voices in criminal justice reform, including Paul Butler, Marc Mauer, and David Cole. The New Press is also the publisher of Michelle Alexander’s bestselling book The New Jim Crow. For more information, visit www.thenewpress.com.

Rush Arts Gallery provides resources and support to early career, non-commercial artists of color who lacked representation in Chelsea’s art district. Since its establishment, this mission has been expanded to support the diverse creative practices of the entire emerging artistic community, including artists, curators and writers from around the globe. Rush Arts Gallery provides an inclusive space for new audiences and promotes experimental ventures in visual art, curatorial visions, performance art, and community involvement. Over the last 19 years, Rush Arts Gallery has grown to also include a second space, Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The galleries exhibit over 100 artists throughout the year.