The Tony-honored non-profit Broadway Advocacy Coalition will present A Night of Artivism September 16 at the Playhouse Theater at Abrons Theater in Manhattan.
This year’s event will showcase pieces created by two Artivism Fellows: Wildin Pierrevil's I Wrote You, Did You Get It and Ari Afsar's Community Safety Song Cycle.
The new works will be brought to life by Tiffany Mann (Jelly’s Last Jam), Dam Domenech (Rock of Ages), Andrea Prestinario (Jeanette, Fun Home), Adam Hyndman, John Clay III (Jelly’s Last Jam), Ari Grooves (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical), T. Oliver Reid (Hadestown), Arnold Harper II (Waitress), and Shaunice Alexander (Ben Platt: Live at the Palace). Kirya Traber and Brandon Michael Nase will direct with music direction by Sujin Kim-Ramsey and Brandon Michael Nase.
Community Safety Song Cycle is a collection of letters and songs that tells an abolition story in service of the Justice Beyond Punishment Collaboration,
an initiative dedicated to strengthening movement efforts for
narrative change around violence, punishment, and incarceration. I Wrote You, Did You Get It follows the intertwined lives
of Booker and Salim, two men navigating the challenges of re-entry into
society after incarceration.
The event will also feature community advocates Alejo Rodriguez (B.A.T.T.L.E), Nelson Rivera (Fortune Society), Demetrius “6ixx” Similien (Community Capacity Development), Laura Whitehorn (Release Aging People in Prison), Judy Brown Fears (Community Capacity Development), Mimi Pascual (Educate Don't Incarcerate), Nkosi Cain (Touchdown NYC), and Roz Smith (Beyond Incarceration).
"This night stands as a beacon of the immense power that art holds in shaping our society. The writers featured are not just storytellers—they are visionaries who dare to challenge the status quo and provoke thought through their words. The impact of this event lies in its ability to stir emotions, ignite conversations, and ultimately, leave a lasting imprint on the hearts and minds of all who experience it," said BAC Co-Director of Programming Dria Brown in a statement.
“This year's Night of Artivism is our most ambitious effort for connecting art and social change. I’m proud of our team and our collaborators for centering narrative change in this year's program,” added BAC President Britton Smith. “More than ever, our nation is witnessing the impact of divisive stories so the role of artists committed to humanizing, including and honoring the voices of those silenced by oppression is critical.”
The Artivism Fellowship is a seven-month incubation process that provides two artist-activists the tools and resources to blend artistry, law, policy, and community engagement to leverage their creative talents to drive meaningful systemic change. For more information about BAC’s Artivism Fellowship, click here.
To learn more or reserve tickets to the upcoming event, click here.
