BRIC's Spring 2016 Season to Feature More Than 30 Free Events
By: Tyler Peterson Feb. 09, 2016
BRIC is pleased to announce free programming for its spring 2016 season at BRIC Arts | Media House, the organization's 40,000SF home in Downtown Brooklyn. The season includes over 30 free events including dance, film, music and spoken word BRIC is the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, and one of the largest in New York City. With offerings ranging from evening concerts to daytime family programming, BRIC House has quickly become one of New York City's most inviting and accessible spaces to experience the arts.
Free Programming
Slavic Soul Party!Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert
February 19 at 7:30pm
BRIC House Ballroom, FREE
Nine-member Balkan funk band Slavic Soul Party! delivers "some of the most danceable Balkan-flavored pop this side of the Adriatic" (Global Rhythm). A fiery mix of Balkan brass, accordion, virtuosic jazz, and pulsing grooves, Slavic Soul Party! is influenced by its members' Eastern European, Mexican, and Asian roots, as well as American jazz and soul. This concert will also feature new works inspired by the song "Somewhere" from West Side Story and written by young people in the Brooklyn community in collaboration with Slavic Soul Party! as part of The Somewhere Project, a citywide creative learning project that honors Carnegie Hall's 125th anniversary.
Look & Listen Festival
April 29 & 30 at 8pm
Gallery at BRIC House Gallery, FREE with RSVP
Now in its 15th year (third at BRIC), the annual Look & Listen Festival showcases the best of contemporary classical music in a visual art setting. Featuring solo works and chamber pieces, each show is chock-full of multi-faceted musicians, ensembles and composers who revels the breadth and depth of 20th and 21st century new classical music. "The Look & Listen Festival is a playground where sound, images and objects align for a seriously fun experience" - Terrance McKnight, WQXR host.
The Commons Choir: BROOKLYN REZOUND
Residency: Through Spring 2016
Led by choreographer Daria Faïn and poet Robert Kocik, The Commons Choir collectively sets our humanity's troubles and highest ideals to song, movement and spoken word. BROOKLYN REZOUND is a new project that examines stories of displacement and entitlement throughout Brooklyn's history and our aspirations toward the American Dream. What are we working toward and how does it change us? Using a collective creative process, the Choir uses voice and movement as links between art, health, and social change. This season BRIC will host the Choir in the first stages of creating BROOKLYN REZOUND, which will culminate in a dance and music performance in 2017.
- Public Interviews: Building the Glossary
February 16 - 20, 4-7pm
BRIC House Gallery, FREE with RSVP
Add your voice to the project by participating in an interview with The Commons Choir. Why did you come to Brooklyn? How does that aspiration translate into your life here? When you leave home for somewhere new, what are you working toward? What do you lose? How does it change you? Your words and gestures will help build a glossary of terms that form the foundation from which the performance will grow. - Voice & Movement Open Community Classes
Saturdays through March 19 - April 30, 10:30 - 12pm
BRIC House Gallery, FREE with RSVP
In this class, taught by master teaser Daria Faïn, participants will use sound and movement as a force for building health and connecting with others. Building on basic actions that explore what sound carries as emotion and where it lives in the body, the class will move from individual expression to fully embodied communication. Open to all levels of experience. Speakers of all languages welcome.
B-SIDE
Renee Neufville
February 11, 7:30pm, FREE with RSVP
A champion of all forms of live music, Renee (one half of the iconic group Zhane) will share some of her new work which is infused with her experience in R&B, pop, Jazz and dancehall worlds.
Chelsea Reject
February 18, 7:30pm, FREE with RSVP
Chelsea Reject is not your average rapper. She is a 21-year old MC from Brooklyn, with Caribbean roots by way of St. Lucia.
Baeb Rxxth
February 25, 7:30pm, FREE with RSVP
The New York-based duo of Devon Craig Johnson and Nasimiyu Murumba, perform their first single "Gutter," which blew up their Soundcloud page with over 15K hits, and much more.
Kenyatta Beasley
March 3, 7:30pm, FREE with RSVP
Award winning trumpeter and film score composer Kenyatta Beasley is a native of New Orleans and has recorded and performed with a wide array of internationally renowned artists ranging from Shakira, Mary J Blige and Wynton Marsalis. Come experience why Kenyatta is known for his creativity and musical flexibility.
Stabwounds
April 7, 7:30pm. FREE with RSVP
Stabwounds is a doe-eyed indie folk two-piece with a salacious, occasionally murderous rock and roll streak. They are a sexually charged reincarnation of Simon and Garfunkel. Stabwounds is comprised of Brooklyn-based vocalists Amanda Brooklyn and Emma March Barash.
The Stoop Series
Illuminating the arts and life around us in Brooklyn, BRIC's Stoop Series features artistic performances, presentations, participatory activities and dynamic conversations. Drop in and explore music, visual art, film, media, storytelling, comedy and other creative fields.Amphion String Quartet & Bridget Kibbey, Harp
February 9, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Enjoy the acoustic sounds of strings and harp floating through the BRIC House Gallery for this special collaboration between the "the focused, forceful young" Amphion String Quartet (The New York Times) and virtuosic harpist Bridget Kibbey. The narrative power of this rare and colorful combination is explored in a program that features the artists' own arrangement of Bach's stunning F minor Concerto, masterpieces by Caplet and Debussy, and a new work for the quintet by Nathan Shields. Presented in collaboration with Concert Artist Guild.
We Be Darker Than Blue: Spoken Word Night and Open Mic
February 16, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Experience an evening of poetry and spoken word from an intergenerational sisterhood of poets including Sonia Sanchez, Mahogany L. Browne, and Jess X Chen. Readings will be followed by an open mic session and discussion on art and activism.
Gallim Dance
March 1, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Experience the vulnerability and virtuosity of Gallim Dance in an intimate open rehearsal that exposes the company's creative process. The internationally acclaimed dance company and BRIC House neighbor will rehearse excerpts of Andrea Miller's next work, Carmina Burana.
Drink & Draw with the House of Larréon
March 8, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Drink and Draw is back with some glitter and fringe! Bring your paper, pencil, and creative eye for an unconventional sketch night where the models are also the artist/entertainers. Larry Krone and Jim Andralis, will wear Larry Krone Brand and House of Larréon originals!
New Music/Old Science
March 15, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
A special look inside the creative process of Anatomy Theater, a new multi-media opera written by composer David Lang and visual artist Mark Dion, that stages a "moral spectacle" inspired by 18th -century operating theaters to explore the relationship of the spiritual to the physical body.
Question Bridge Live
March 22, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Question Bridge is an innovative transmedia project led by artists Hank Willis Thomas, Chris Johnson, Bayete Ross Smith, and Kamal Sinclair, and produced by art world luminaries Deborah Willis and Delroy Lindo. The video installation, book, and website facilitate a dialogue between a critical mass of black men from diverse and contending backgrounds. Bayeté Ross Smith will moderate an evening of dialogue between different generations of black men from diverse and contending backgrounds that have taken part so far in the Question Bridge project. This event is in collaboration with Greenlight Bookstore and the Aperture Foundation.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women in Music
March 29, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Join us for a discussion on industry trends, challenges and career advice from women behind the music including Leota Blacknor of Caroline Records and others plus a performance by Tangina Stone.
April 5, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
A "breathtakingly beautiful" new voice in contemporary music (Downbeat Magazine), vocalist composer Kavita Shahhas been praised by NPR for her "amazing dexterity for musical languages." A native New Yorker of Indian origin, fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French, Shah incorporates her in-depth knowledge of diverse cultural traditions into her jazz-based repertoire, placing seemingly eclectic songs, instruments, and artists in dialogue with one another.
New York's Underground Art Museum: An Inside Look at MTA Arts and Design
April 12, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
A panel discussion that gives an inside look at the MTA's remarkable program of contemporary art commissions throughout the city's transportation system, with Sandra Bloodworth (Director, MTA Arts & Design) and several artists who have been commissioned to create the works we see on our daily commute.
Welcome to the AfroFuture
April 19, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Explore the gamut of Afrofuturism through a number of mediums including: visual art, literature, film, music and dance. Afrofuturism aficionados Greg Tate & Ashley Clark, visual artist Erykah Hagen, and hip hop artist H Prizm will take you on a journey you won't soon forget.
Skin as a Canvas: Tattoo Tales & the Impact of Body Art on Contemporary Visual Culture
April 26, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
As author Jack London once said, "Show me a man with a tattoo, and I'll show you a man with an interesting past." This storytelling event will feature tattoo stories from people of all walks of life describing personal anecdotes on the reasons for getting a tattoo, the meaning behind each piece or the experience itself. We'll also discuss the history of tattoos and the art of tattooing, and hear from Guy Prandstatter, founder of the Academy of Responsible Tattooing (A.R.T.)
BRIC FLIX
BRIC FLIX is a free film screening and conversation that offers premieres, shorts, new media projects, and web series that all reflect the diversity and vibrancy of Brooklyn. Each screening is followed by a discussion with the filmmakers, artists, curators, and more. BRIC FLIX is produced in partnership with renowned organizations throughout NYC. Once a month; all events are FREE with RSVP.Crowdfunded Films with Kickstarter
February 17, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
We'll present a selection of crowdfunded films from Brooklyn-based filmmakers such as Kweighbaye Kotee, creator of The Bushwick Diaries and discuss crowdfunding challenges; tips plus the impact that web based platforms have had on film with this month's partner --Kickstarter. Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects - big and small - have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.
Women Behind the Lens with Chicken & Egg Pictures
March 9, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
In celebration of Women's History Month, we will show excerpts of films made by and/or about women, and talk about the impact of women behind the lens. Selected pieces include "Born to Fly" about Elizabeth Streb and the STREB Extreme Action Company; "Speed Sisters", the first all-woman race car driving team in the Middle East; and "Canary in a Coal Mine", a woman's story about suffering with a debilitating disease. Chicken & Egg Pictures supports female non-fiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change
New Voices in Black Cinema with Act Now Foundation
April 20, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Join us for a presentation of narrative features, documentaries, and shorts created by independent playwrights and filmmakers that redefine the Black experience in American and around the world.
LGBTQ Spotlight with IndieWorks
May 23, 7-9pm, FREE with RSVP
Don't miss this showcase of short works produced by emerging NY filmmakers that are by, for and about the LGBTQ community. And take advantage of the opportunity to network with the local film community.
The Brooklyn Poetry Slam
February 3, 2016, 7PM
March 2, 2016, 7PM
April 6, 2016, 7PM
FREE with RSVP
An intergenerational poetry slam and open mic, featuring Brooklyn-based poets who respond to city culture, national issues, and the exhibitions on-view at BRIC House. Hosted by Mahogany L. Browne, with music by DJ Jive Poetic.
Concrete Stories
Brooklyn Youth Media Festival
May 25, 1pm & 60pm
FREE
Produced and curated by a group of media-savvy Brooklyn high school students as part of the BRIC Youth Media Internship Program. This media showcase, produced by youth under the age of 20, celebrates talented young media makers who are telling stories through short films, documentaries, and animations.
BRIC House Parties
Brooklyn's best family parties continue with special daytime activities, including live music, gaming, art making, and other participatory activities, all ending with a family disco party.Adventures in Storytelling House Party
February 6, 12pm-5pm, FREE with RSVP
A memorable exploration of community storytelling through song, dance, film, and more.
Hackathon House Party
February 20, 12pm-5pm, FREE with RSVP
A fun-filled day of learning, sharing ideas and exploring inventions-at the intersection of art and technology.
Make Some Noise Hip-Hop House Party
April 16, 12pm-5pm, FREE with RSVP
This family day is all about celebrating musical sounds, lyrics, dance, street art, and much more.
BRIC FamJam
A new family program designed as a workshop for families to come together to complete one creative art project. From silent movies to mosaic plaque creations, these projects will celebrate the notion of home and more. For families with school age children (ages 7+).Family Mosaic
February 6, 11am-2pm
BRIC House Hallway, FREE with RSVP
Not Your Typical Family Portrait
April 3, 11am-2pm
BRIC House Ballroom, FREE with RSVP
About BRIC
BRIC is the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, and one of the largest in New York City. We present and incubate fresh work by artists and media-makers who reflect the diversity that surrounds us. BRIC programs reach hundreds of thousands of people each year.Our main venue, BRIC Arts | Media House, offers a public media center, a major contemporary art exhibition space, two performance spaces, a glass-walled TV studio, and artist work spaces.
Some of BRIC's most acclaimed programs include the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in Prospect Park, several path-breaking public access media initiatives, including the newly-renamed BRIC TV, and a renowned contemporary art exhibition series. BRIC also offers education and other vital programs at BRIC House and throughout Brooklyn.
In addition to making cultural programming genuinely accessible, BRIC is dedicated to providing substantial support to artists and media makers in their efforts to develop work and reach new audiences.
BRIC is unusual in both presenting exceptional cultural experiences and nurturing individual expression. This dual commitment enables us to most effectively reflect New York City's innate cultural richness and diversity.
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