By Erin Williams—
Muncie, IN—PlySpace, the artist in residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council, is excited to announce a collaborative project with Indya Childs and Joshua Cleveland of Peace, Love, and Dance (Atlanta) and the Ball State University Department of Theatre and Dance.
This February and March, Childs and Cleveland will join PlySpace and Ball State for a special project that includes a three-part discussion series and culminates in a dance video which will premiere on April 30th, 2021. The first phase of the project, the discussion series titled the Creative Use of Difference, will be coordinated by PlySpace and the Muncie Arts and Culture Council. The series of four online panel discussions will occur from 6-7 PM, on Thursdays, February 18th, 25th, and March 4th, through the Zoom webinar platform. The series is free and open to the public, but registration is required at plyspace.org/pld to access the webinar.
Each panel discussion will feature artists, both local and national practitioners, who are using their respected art forms to creatively bring awareness to societal issues such as racial injustices, sexism, and more. The series is as follows:
The Black Woman Creating
February 18th, 2021 from 6-7 PM (online)
Featuring guest panelists Charmaine Minniefield and Dee Dee Batteast
The Black Woman Creating is a discussion with Black female-identifying artists whose work is influenced by Black feminism, social justice, and more.
Women Shifting the Space
February 25th, 2021 from 6-7 PM (online)
Featuring guest panelists Ana de Brea and Lauren Pacheco
Women Shifting the Space is a discussion with female-identifying artists on how they are shifting the space of patriarchy and creating a space for female visibility and leadership.
The “New” Policies of Dance
March 4th, 2021 from 6-7 PM (online)
Featuring guest panelists Felecia Thomas and Beverly Bautista
The “New” Policies of Dance is a discussion with dance educators that will highlight the new policies of inclusion, diversity, and equality in the dance world adopted by dance schools, institutions, etc in the wake of 2020.
While the discussion series takes place, Childs will be working directly with students and faculty at the Department of Theatre and Dance to develop choreography for a dance film titled Peace, Love, and Dance; drawing from the content and conversation presented in the public panel discussions. This process creates a dynamic link between the discussion topics and the final choreography used for the film. In March, Childs and Cleveland will travel to Muncie to complete the filming and production of the final piece.
The premiere of Peace, Love, and Dance will occur on April 30th with a talkback discussion with the artists and performers, as part of the Spring 2021 Season.
Indya Childs is from Atlanta, GA and received her BA in dance from Kennesaw State University. Before the pandemic, Indya was living in New York and dancing with Abby Z and The New Utility. She is currently the director of the Peace, Love, and Dance Project organization which officially launched in September 2020.
More information about Peace, Love, and Dance and other PlySpace Spring Term events can be found on the PlySpace website at www.PlySpace.org/events and the PlySpace Facebook page. Questions or comments about the PlySpace Residency program, events, and community collaborations can be directed to the Residency Coordinator, Erin Williams, at hello@plyspace.org. Learn more about Muncie Arts & Culture Council at www.munciearts.org.
About PlySpace
PlySpace is a program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council in partnership with the City of Muncie, Ball State University School of Art, and Sustainable Muncie Corporation. PlySpace is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
