‘ARTs + Change’ a formula for transformation

The University hosts a conference for artists and educators to reimagine the arts.

How are artists reimagining the world? What role do the arts have in promoting justice, equity, and citizenship? These are just a few of the questions that artists worldwide of all disciplines will consider as they gather for the virtual “ARTs + Change Conference – Activate, Reimagine, Transform,” hosted by the University of Rochester’s Institute for the Performing Arts, June 3 through June 6.

The mission of the Institute for the Performing Arts, which was formed in 2015, is to bring together the disciplines of music, theater, and dance. The institute works to increase collaborations in the Rochester community and strengthen the relationships among the College, the Eastman School of Music, and the Memorial Art Gallery. “We will learn from one another,” says institute director Missy Pfohl Smith, who sees the conference as a way to connect artists and educators to inspire opportunities and collaborations. “Through performance, pedagogical considerations, and the coming together of creative minds, we seek to build and become a partner in a wider community advocating for equity, inclusion, diversity, and positive change.”

The conference is in partnership with Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center at the University; 540WMain Inc., a Rochester-based nonprofit creating change through community-based connection and antiracism education; Create A Space Now, a multimedia and performing arts platform to further discussion around race relations in America; and the Rochester Fringe Festival.

Over the course of the four-day event, sessions will include participatory workshops, panel discussions, research presentations, and guided discussions. The keynote speaker is Tamar Greene ’12E (MM), who is currently portraying George Washington in the Broadway company of Hamilton. An actor as well as a teacher of piano and voice, Greene will talk about his life, career, and the issues surrounding opportunities for people of color in the performing arts.

Here’s a sample of the presenters:

• NYC–based dance educators and social justice arts advocates Kiri Avelar and Michelle Manzanales of Latinx Dance Educators Alliance will present “Questioning Todo: A Latinx Inquiry of Cultural Responsive Pedagogy,” Thursday, June 3.
• Artist Marz Saffore’15 uses art and collaborating with major art institutions to decolonize and breakthrough racism in the presentation and workshop “Movements Keep Moving: Abolitionist and Decolonial Organizing in Our Cities.” Saffore’s talk and workshop takes place Thursday, June 3.
• Artist Heather Layton will present “The Aesthetics of Kindness and Human Connection: An Artist Talk and Workshop.” Layton is a senior lecturer of art and teaches courses in painting, performance, and community-engaged art. Her discussion is Thursday, June 3.
• Activist filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist Mara Ahmed will discuss “The Injured Body: A Discussion about Racism in America.” Ahmed’s talk takes place on Thursday, June 3.
• Broadway entertainer and choreographer Hettie Barnhill will share her work with “Create a Space Now,” an interactive social platform that uses performing arts and multimedia to further discussion around #blacklivesmatter. Her presentation is Friday, June 4.
• Dante Puleio, artistic director of the Limon Dance Company, explores traditional gender roles in dance and the physical experience of learning and dance roles initially intended for another gender. Puleio discusses how those roles can change to be inclusive and conscious of gender norms of the mid-20th century compared to gender roles today. The presentation “20th Century Modern Dance in the 21st Century: Gender Impact” takes place Friday, June 4.
• Malena Selic ’14, a psychodrama counselor-in-training, a translator, and seasonal artist, presents “Creativity and Crisis,” a psychodrama workshop and presentation. Selic’s workshop takes place on Saturday, June 5.
• Violist, conductor, and educator Bridget Kinneary ’15E talks about orchestras for refugee children in Germany and will present “Music for All?: A Discussion about the Challenges and Successes of Bringing Music Education to Communities with Migration Backgrounds in Berlin.” Kinneary’s talk is Saturday, June 5.
• Gaelen McCormick, program manager of Eastman Performing Arts Medicine, and Susan Daiss, educator at the Memorial Art Gallery, talk about their collaboration to create music and visual arts-based programs for health care workers at the Medical Center, hoping to bring relief to an overstressed community. Their presentation, “The Mindful Art Pause: An Arts-based Response to the Crisis in the Healthcare Community,” takes place on Sunday, June 6.

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