BRIC Reveals Winners of Fireworks Residency, Commissioning Program

BRIC is pleased to announce the 2014-2015 winners of Fireworks, BRIC's residency and commission program. Fireworks is designed to bring together artists of different disciplines who share a vision in development of new, large-scale multidisciplinary work. BRIC provides technical and financial resources to facilitate the collaborative development of creative projects that cross or erase artistic boundaries. The 2014-2015 winners are Aisha Cousins, Greg Tate, and Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber for their project Brer Rabbit The Opera: A Funky Meditation On Gentrification and Baruch "Baba" Israel, Kiriakos "YAKO 440" Prodis and Leo Kay for their project The Spinning Wheel.

"The Fireworks program allows BRIC to commission artists who challenge the boundaries of performing arts, contemporary art and media through groundbreaking interdisciplinary projects. The two project teams are creating extraordinary work that in their own unique way reflect on the human condition. Fireworks artists undoubtedly become part of the fabric and family at BRIC and we are thrilled to share their work with Brooklyn and beyond." said Jack Walsh, BRIC's Vice President of Performing Arts.

Each Fireworks residency includes a six to eight week intensive on-site development phase at BRIC House, BRIC's 40,000-square-foot multi-disciplinary facility in Downtown Brooklyn and culminates in a final public presentation. This public phase can take many forms including a multi-media exhibition in the BRIC Gallery, a performance or event utilizing the BRIC Ballroom, an installation or performance in the Artist Studio, a project with a media component involving the Television Studio and our other media equipment or facilities, or a multi-platform project developed for a variety of spaces.

Fireworks, BRIC's residency and commissioning program, is supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation's NYC Cultural Innovation Fund.

Additional details on the 2014 - 2015 project and winners can be found below.

2014-2015 Fireworks Artists and Projects

Brer Rabbit The Opera: A Funky Meditation On Gentrification
Created by Aisha Cousins, Greg Tate, and Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber
Residency: Dec 15, 2014 - Jan 23, 2015
Work-in-progress performances: Jan 22 and 23 at 8pm
Tickets $15 Advance | $18 At the Door

Brer Rabbit The Opera: A Funky Meditation On Gentrification is an exploration of tricksterism, techno-animism and urban survival techniques that tackles the modern dilemma of gentrification through the lens of legendary black folklore hero, Brer Rabbit, and his birthplace, the Briar Patch. A collaboration between performance artist Aisha Cousins, musician Greg Tate, and Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, Brer Rabbit: The Opera will merge music, performance art and community engagement to create a final piece that engages BRIC visitors of all cultures in reflecting on the life lessons our respective Briar Patches have taught us.

Brer Rabbit is a trickster character in folktales of African, African-American, and Native American Culture. He is the consummate trickster, who typically succeeds by his wits rather than by brawn. The Briar Patch (considered a dangerous place by outsiders) is Brer Rabbit's home and the place where he feels most comfortable.

The Spinning Wheel
Created by Baruch "Baba" Israel, Kiriakos "YAKO 440" Prodis and Leo Kay
Residency: December 2015
Work-in-progress debut: January 2016

The Spinning Wheel explores the life of steve ben israel, Baba Israel's late father, and devises a "conversation" with his multi-media archive of art and activism. The work combines storytelling, Hip Hop, spoken word, live music and projection mapping to explore vulnerability, political integrity and the influence of counterculture and its resonance with contemporary social justice struggles. The Spinning Wheel is an intimate reflection of a son mourning his father's death and celebrating his life.

steve ben israel was a Brooklyn native, jazz musician, beat poet, stand-up comic, political activist and core member of the iconic ensemble "The Living Theatre". steven ben passed away in 2012, leaving behind an extensive archive spanning 50 years. Drawing on the archival material for contextual inspiration and audio visual content, the artists will undertake a collaborative devising process remixing past and present to explore how we are transformed by the legacies we inherit.

steven ben practiced what he called performance life and found his inspiration by bringing his politics and comedy into the streets, subways, and protests of New York. One of his stand out 'performance life' moments came when he escaped 1970's Brazil dressed as a woman and improvised his way through airport security to return to NY, where he worked to organize the release of the members of The Living Theatre who were still imprisoned there. His was a life committed to liberation.

Along with the live performance, the team will create an interactive installation and exhibition in collaboration with Brooklyn based technology collective, NYC Resistor, video artist Richard Ramchum and visual artist, Eric Drooker where audiences can viscerally explore the archive.

Co-creator and performer Baba Israel said, "Our process has taken us from New York to England, and back. The Spinning Wheel animates my father's archive of poetic, humorous, and politically charged material and brings it into dialogue with my stripped back, comedic, and poetic exploration of grieving and the relationship between my father and I. The piece has transformed how I see the world and my own practice as an artist, educator, and archivist."

Co-creator and director Leo Kay said, "Baba and I share a strong cultural and political affinity, and it's been incredibly exciting to explore how we can integrate our practices to create an original and authentic voice for this work. The Spinning Wheel integrates the autobiographical and intimate performance style present in current Unfinished Business practice, with Baba's spoken word prowess, Hip Hop inspired performance and improvisational experience."