Live interactive workshop held via Zoom. (run time: 90 minutes) The poet Sekou Sundiata once said, “the language you live in is where your poetry is.” Incidentally, that is also where theater lives, as well; as poet-playwrights such as Ntozake Shange, Cherríe Moraga, Velina Hasu Houston, and many others have brilliantly demonstrated, poetic theater is a powerful, potent performance form. Join English professor, playwright, and former slam poet Takeo Rivera for an exploration of the choreopoem theatrical form, its contours of vulnerability, and its potential for connection.

Immigration is a common story in Pittsburgh. Beechview is a   neighborhood with a rich cultural mix. Nine of these immigration stories have been collected and are ready to share with Pittsburgh and beyond! Join Sharing Our Story, Casa San Jose and the Beechview Historical Society for an evening of multicultural digital storytelling with stories created by longtime and new residents of Beechview.

NYC Pianist and composer Deanna Witkowski will be joined by bassist Jeff Grubbs and drummer Thomas Wendt in this program celebrating the music of Mary Lou Williams as part of the Off Minor Jazz Series. Deanna has selected the best moments from the original 2019 concert @ Alphabet City performed in front of a full house, guiding us through her creative process with behind-the-scenes commentary and a newly recorded song– showcasing Mary Lou’s work and the continuation of her legacy and influence on modern musicians.

This installment of the Latinx & Proud! Reading Series features féi hernandez, Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Rodney Gomez, and Sarah A. Chavez– all Sundress Publications authors. As we enter a new year, we are so excited to continue the work of celebrating Latinx artists, and empowering the local and national Latinx community. This event is in proud partnership with Sundress Publications. ¡Ven a celebrar con nosotros! (Come celebrate with us!)

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.

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.