Tonya Pinkins, Kara Young & More to Take Part in BAC's ARTS IN ACTION FESTIVAL

Broadway Advocacy Coalition has revealed additional details regarding its second annual Arts in Action Festival, set to take place across two days in Midtown, New York City. Day one of the festival is September 10th at The Building For The Arts and day two will take place September 11th at New World Stages. 
 
Tickets are free and can be reserved online at artsinactionfestival.com.
 
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Arts in Action Festival is a space for organizations and individuals working at the intersection of artistic production and radical justice to exhibit their work, collaborate on achieving mutual goals, celebrate the resilience and tenacity of their communities, and most importantly, highlight the ways New York City’s punitive view of justice is failing its inhabitants.
 

Day 1 of the festival will feature: 

Workshops from Marissa Gutierrez-Vicario of ARTE, BAC Fellow UGBA of Dark-Skin Support Group, Dr. Anderson P. Smith of All Literary Citizens and Sarah Rim, panels featuring PEN America, Artistic Noise, Midtown Community Court, screenings from Zealous, JustMedia, Empowerment Avenue Films and the Arts, Justice and Safety Coalition, and Tabling from the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, Peoples Campaign for Parole Justice, Freedom Agenda, Women’s Community Justice Association, Alliance for Quality Education, Envision Freedom Fund, and Community Voices Heard. 
 

Day 2 of the festival will feature: 

Hosted by Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins and advocate Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, Day 2 of the festival will kick-off with a performance by the G Stars, the step team from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women – followed by the festival’s culminating performance Envisioning the Possible, showcasing artists, poets, dancers, and musicians. The performance will include spoken word by New York City’s Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco, vignettes by the Women’s Theater Ensemble, performances by Music on the Inside and Sound Off: Music for Bail, dance from Black Iris Project, an original commission by Waterwell’s Youth Drama Program and the world premiere of work from Tony winner Kara Young (Cost of Living, upcoming Purlie Victorious), Tiffany Mann (Waitress, Be More Chill), Shakina Nayfack (NBC’s “Connecting”, Hulu’s “Difficult People”), Britton Smith (Britton and the Sting, Be More Chill) and previous BAC Fellow’s Camille Thomas, UGBA and Andrea Ambam. The evening is co-directed by BAC’s Leia Squillace and Musical Theater Factory’s Brisa Areli Muñoz. 
 
The festival will provide a space for participants and organizations to experience the power of art and storytelling as a tool for creating more humane policies and systems. This year’s festival theme is Envisioning The Possible, focusing on how our society’s understanding of justice can be radicalized – moving away from violent incarceration and instead toward community centered alternatives. Additionally, attendees will have all-day access to on-site therapists, reiki, as well as an activation lounge featuring a Social Justice Library, Pen Pal Station, and more. 
 
This year’s festival is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the David Rockefeller Fund. 
 
To learn more or reserve a ticket, visit artsinactionfestival.com
 

ABOUT THE BROADWAY ADVOCACY COALITION  

Founded in 2016 by members of the Broadway community as a direct response to the nation's pandemic of racism and police brutality, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition is a multidisciplinary organization which unites artists, legal experts and community leaders to create lasting impact on policy issues from criminal justice reform to education equity to immigration. In 2021, BAC received a Special Tony Award for providing an unparalleled platform for marginalized members of the theatre community and tools to help the theatre industry move toward a more equitable future. Via its partnership with the Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia Law School, BAC has collaborated with institutions across New York City, including the New York City Council, Bronx Defenders, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. To learn more about their work, and to get involved, visit their website at https://www.bwayadvocacycoalition.org/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.