The New Griots Festival

The Guthrie Theater presents

Dowling Studio

July 6 - 16, 2017

Back by popular demand

About the show

The New Griots Festival aims to highlight, celebrate and advance the careers of emerging Black artists in the Twin Cities. The festival features the work of 10 local artists and free artist-taught community classes. Programming was chosen through a proposal process, and participating artists receive two performances over the two weekends.

Performance descriptions

Thursday, July 6, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 16, 2:30–3:30 p.m.

[Volume 2] Viva: BLACK is vocalist and dancer Vie Boheme's interdisciplinary one-woman show that aims to sift the elusiveness of Black Girl Magic. It is an evening of song, dance, poetry thematically presented through a series of vignettes. The show is historically charged, reflective of today's social political landscape and candidly shared.

Friday, July 7, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 12, 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Spend an evening with Miss Coco Nostal'jah and friends as they tell you a classic story with an aerial twist. Witness Don's love triangle through movement presentations of partnered balancing, dance and aerial circus arts. Open to all ages but not suitable for unattended minors.

Saturday, July 8, 1-2 p.m.
Saturday, July 15, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Where does trap music, black liberation studies and a social justice music movement meet? In this spoken word, hip hop dance, multimedia performance by Keno Evol we will begin to find out. This performance event will dive into the intersections of black studies, the practice of modern escape routes in 2017 America and the joy and struggle of hip hop music. Come conjure alongside community as we experience new work, new questions and new answers.

Saturday, July 8, 9-10 p.m.
Saturday, July 15, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

The Minority Report is a comedy show that mixes improv, sketch, and sincere dialogue between the performers and audience. Bringing serious issues to comedic light, Blackout aims to engage the audience in an entertaining and insightful experience. We hope.

Sunday, July 9, 1-2 p.m.
Sunday, July 16, 1-2 p.m.

Prepare for a glimpse into the life of Sundberg's photography and identity with musical performances by Gym and Saint Laron, dance pieces by Colin Edwards and Canaan Mattson, wardrobe by Eye Crave and TEN Thrift, artwork by Bones and Fur Collective and music from Dj Cilantro.

Sunday, July 9, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 11, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Gibson will perform selections from her current project, a poetry collection titled The Black Woman Press Conference, along with a presentation on the process, wider purpose and ultimate goal of the book in the larger community. A discussion with the audience will follow.

Sunday, July 9, 7-8 p.m. • Episode 1
Saturday, July 15, 9-10 p.m. • Episode 2 & 3

For the woman who is neither INSECURE or an AWKWARD BLACK GIRL, ABB (Angry Black Bi&^%#$) is the sum of ATLANTA + TWO BROKE GIRLS divided by two woke brown girls! ABB reflects the modern, unapologetic, and politically incorrect lives of EJ and Chesi, two temperamental codependent besties seeking to make strides in their respective fields (and lives) while challenging biases, managing micro aggressions and living unabashedly. ABB is a quarter-life crisis/coming-of-age story of an urban renaissance rapper and a nomadic free-spirit hipster, as they rely on friendship to navigate being displaced in a patriarchal society.

This performance contains strong language.

Class descriptions

Friday, July 7, 6-7 p.m.
Sunday, July 16, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Instructor: Keno Evol

This workshop will focus on how black poetry has been used as a tactical tool to organize, archive dreams, grievances and pathways to other worlds. Specifically focusing on the intersections between trap music, black fugitive planning and black social life. Participants will dive into the craft of writing and dreaming, discuss how poetry can be used to organize community, uplift volume in community and speak truth about power in 2017. Time will also be spent discussing what it means to prepare young people to not adapt to the world but to challenge the world with their intellect, courage and unique voice. Participants will also spend some time creating and sharing their own poetic work.

Saturday, July 8, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Instructor: Kory LaQuess Pullam of Blackout

We as a people have spent our lives making something out of nothing. Come learn the basic fundamentals of improvisation with Blackout Founding Artistic Director Kory LaQuess Pullam. There are no wrong answers in this fun and exciting workshop!

Saturday, July 8, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Friday, July 14, 6-7 p.m.
Instructor: April Gibson

This class will focus on poets and poetry that demonstrate the ways in which writing can be a form of resistance and an advocacy tool for individual and collective social action. Students will read culturally relevant and responsive works and be provided with generative writing prompts.

Saturday, July 8, 4-5 p.m.
Saturday, July 8, 5-6 p.m.
Instructor: Shaina McCoy

Participants will explore the idea of self-love through the expression of painting. While laying paint to the canvases in the form of a conversation circle, we will be able to speak on our thoughts of what it means to love ourselves, manifest those emotions, and let them flow visually from the paint brush onto a new foundation.

Sunday, July 9, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 11, 6-7 p.m.
Instructor: Dame-Jasmine Hughes

In this performance-based workshop, the universal themes of Blues music and classical text collide. Discussions, scene work, and a final presentation will explore the dissatisfaction, segregation, self-assessment, individual expression, political isolation and humor that support two seemingly unrelated genres.

Thursday, July 6, 6-7 p.m.
Thursday, July 13, 6-7 p.m.
Instructor: Arthur "L.A." Buckner

Come and join the drum circle! Build confidence through improvisation, promote teamwork, increase fine listening skills and heighten rhythmic sensitivity. Yes, all of this and more can happen with two sticks and a bucket. For all ages and abilities.

Saturday, July 15, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Instructor: Joy Dolo Anfinson of Blackout

The art of improvisation is heavily dominated by the men of our industry and it can become difficult for women to be effectively represented on stage. Local powerhouse Joy Dolo Anfinson leads this workshop on how to own your presence onstage and improvise with fierce confidence.