Art and Change

I got my first grant as an artist this week. I applied for the grant to make a film about 12 young men I met in West Philadelphia. These boys are part of a Fatherhood group in West Philadelphia at the E3 center that is spearheaded by a diligent community center director, David Johnson. We meet on Wednesdays to figure out how to take the group higher. Telling the story of a group of people versus an individual story is a new genre worth exploring. The story of a group is rooted in its collective identity and power to transform those inside the group as well as those outside it. Telling the story of a group is different than individual storytelling and frees you of the trappings inherent to the visual medium. More on that later.

The reception ceremony was moving. Every recipient was using her art to change the world. The disciplines ranged from film, photography, clown (yup...and I mean the "master clown" form), dance, theater, and poetry. In fact, one of my favorite poets, Ursula Rucker, was a co-recipient. I couldn't believe it. She has been a truth teller for the last 15 years that has consistently challenged audiences. True to form, she is using the grant to write an epic poem of New Orleans and pay tribute to a disaster that should never be forgotten.

We all sat around a room and shared the experiences that had brought us all to our various projects. Everyone in that room had connected their personal stories to a larger shared vision of humanity. The take home point was " change " is going to take unprecedented solidarity and support from each other and "un-learning" about how to NOT work together. This latter point is something I have been deeply reflecting on. In this country, we learn how to exploit each other, not how to lift. It is going to take massive de-programming to achieve solidarity. I am hopeful but the road ahead is long.