Like in almost every jurisdiction across the United States, cash bail is a problem in Pennsylvania. Across the commonwealth, thousands of people sit in cages not because they are guilty—but simply because they are too poor to pay bail. Magisterial District Judges, the elected officials responsible for setting bail, consistently set bail in amounts too steep for people to afford. Further, District Attorneys, who are also elected, request that MDJs set bail in thousands, and even millions, of dollars. As a result, more than 60% of Pennsylvania’s total jail population have not been convicted of a crime.  Join us for a discussion on what the ACLU-PA and Bukit Bail Fund have learned on the ground as organizers, lawyers, and activists, as well as how Pennsylvania can end mass incarceration in our backyards.

These listening sessions share jazz on 78rpm record—the oldest and rarest records that capture truly high quality sound.  The goal of these listening sessions is to make the beauty of classic jazz recordings, to hear lesser known work from great musicians, and share your thoughts with fellow listeners in real time. 

Live interactive workshop held via Zoom. (run time: 120 minutes) Storyboarding is a vital step in the animation pipeline where an idea is transformed into a visual journey. Here key storytelling elements take shape, expanding and defining the narrative, becoming a guide for the rest of the production process. In this workshop led by Andrew Edwards, you will engage in the exploratory process of storyboarding. You’ll learn all the basics of how to take a prompt and hash out the timing, cinematography, and acting in order to create a clear, compelling story for your favorite projects.

This special evening features poet, author, editor and publisher of Third World Press, Dr. Haki Madhubuti, who’ll read from and discuss his newest book, Taught By Women: Poems as Resistance Language. Madhubuti will read and be joined in conversation by Dr. Romi Crawford from the Art Institute of Chicago. In these new and selected poems, prolific artist and activist Haki Madhubuti pays homage to the many women who have influenced him and contributed to his unique worldview, with warm verses and timeless reverence. Each poem is a vivid portraiture of the “magnificent energy” emanating from a rainbow of Black women. 

Pitt Jazz presents a two day event on life after incarceration. (One time registration grants access to both evenings.) Feb. 4th 7:00 PM Film Screening “The Honest Struggle: Living as a Target” Feb. 5th 7:00 PM Film discussion on the role of institutional racism in the prison industrial complex and the challenges of re-entry after incarceration. Live Panel The Pitt Jazz program of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Music in collaboration with City of Asylum presents a two day event that includes a live screening of the film “The Honest Struggle” by filmmaker Justin Mashouf and a panel discussion followed by a musical performance of original music by vocalist/pianist Sadiq Davis and vocalist Aquilla Sadalla. 

Pitt Jazz presents a two day event on life after incarceration. (One time registration grants access to both evenings.) Feb. 4th 7:00 PM Film Screening “The Honest Struggle: Living as a Target” Feb. 5th 7:00 PM Film discussion on the role of institutional racism in the prison industrial complex and the challenges of re-entry after incarceration. Live Panel The Pitt Jazz program of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Music in collaboration with City of Asylum presents a two day event that includes a live screening of the film “The Honest Struggle” by filmmaker Justin Mashouf and a panel discussion followed by a musical performance of original music by vocalist/pianist Sadiq Davis and vocalist Aquilla Sadalla. 

An intimate evening of live readings with exceptional Pittsburgh writers co-curated by Pat Hart and Marc Nieson of the Free Association Reading Series. Founded in May of 2016, Free Association Reading Series is for established and emerging Pittsburgh writers of prose, poetry, and non-fiction. Not affiliated with any formal writing programs, FARS is ‘non denominational’ and draws writers from universities, workshops, and those toiling away alone in their garrets.

Join us for the regional premier and unreleased screening of “The Many Lives of Kojin” hosted by ReelQ. This program includes an exclusive interview with director Diako Yazdani. With a great sense of humor, Filmmaker Diako Yazdani, a political refugee in France, returns to see his family in Iraqi Kurdistan and introduces them to Kojin, a young 23-year-old homosexual who seeks to exist in a society where he seems unable to find his place. A look at the endless struggle of a minority within a minority.

Bridge & Tunnel Books and City of Asylum are proud to present In the Shadow of the Mic Showcase! Featuring some of the best spoken word poets the Steel City has to offer in a live virtual reading peppered with archived footage of past Slam Poetry competitions, bringing you a unique hybrid program! In the Shadow of the Mic: Three Decades of Slam Poetry in Pittsburgh celebrates the history, culture, and community of the Steel City Slam, from its founding in the early ’90s to present day.

Live interactive workshop held via Zoom. (run time: 90 minutes) Let’s breathe together. Then write. Then breathe again. This space is for what we have lost in human connection. There are others here who see in you the potential, the always potent potential, for painting the world with story–for reclaiming of your voice, your words, and your story through poetry. This online workshop led by Anya Pearson is designed to help you generate new material, refine an existing draft of a poem, or simply discover the permission to call yourself a writer.