Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities to Present THE LINE Art Exhibit, 8/21

In partnership with Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (http://www.inclusiveva.org/), a state-wide organization, Virginia Stage Company's Department of Education & Community Engagement will present "The Line: Art for Social Change" at Slover Public Library in downtown Norfolk on August 21, 2016 at 3PM.

The project is being spearheaded by Virginia Stage Company's Resident Theatre Artists, Kat Martin and Tommy Coleman, both of whom consider themselves to be "artivists" - artists and activists hoping to change Hampton Roads through art and education. The duo has a strong record of promoting social justice throughout the region, having both played major roles in coordinating last month's The Silent Mile, which gathered over 500 people in downtown Norfolk to march one mile in honor of the 135 African-Americans lost to police violence in 2016 alone.

The Line is the first interactive, forum workshop in the department's Art For Social Change Series. It promises artistic immersion, using scenes from James Baldwin's epic 1964 play, Blues for Mister Charlie, as well as modern dance, spoken word, digital art, and open-forum, discussion-based activities. This workshop will provide our community with a vocabulary for deconstructing racial boundaries. By empowering community members to investigate and deconstruct racially divided areas, The Line will inspire the creation of democratic and equitable spaces in southeastern Virginia.

The event will also feature the work and historical input of Cultural Geographer and Christopher Newport University professor, Johnny Finn (http://arcg.is/1XXWxij), choreography by Christopher Newport University professor, Ann Mazzocca (http://www.annmazzocca.com/), and a spoken word performance by artist and local public school teacher, Michelle Vinnie.