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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250403T193000
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SUMMARY:Red Baraat Festival of Colors
DESCRIPTION:“Hits with the force of a spiritual awakening” – STEREOGUM \nRed Baraat Festival of Colors is an immersive celebration that melds the sounds of the South Asian diaspora with kaleidoscopic visual imagery. Led by dhol player Sunny Jain\, Red Baraat has transformed the festive spirit of the Hindu holiday of Holi into a year-round tour of communal revelry that brings together what NPR has called “the best party band in years\,” a montage of classic Bollywood visuals\, and joyful dancing. \nAt the core of Festival of Colors is Red Baraat’s singular sound: a merging of hard driving North Indian bhangra music with elements of hip hop\, jazz\, and raw punk energy. Created with no less a purposeful agenda than manifesting joy and unity in all people\, the band’s spirit is worn brightly on its sweaty and hard-worked sleeve. \nTraditionally\, Holi is marked by public gatherings of families and strangers sharing songs\, dance\, and the exchange of “colors” – colorful powders playfully thrown amongst crowds of revelers. The holiday signifies the victory of good over evil\, the arrival of spring\, and for many\, a festive day to meet\, play and laugh\, forget and forgive\, and repair ruptured relationships. \nIn this spirit\, we invite you to wear your brightest colors\, bring your joy\, and come together for this special FirstWorks Global Journey at a time when the world needs it most! \n“If we can unite people of all backgrounds and ethnicities to partake in the exuberance of life through the universal language of music\, then life is that much sweeter.” -Sunny Jain\, bandleader\, Red Baraat \nKNOW BEFORE YOU GO:\nWhile we won’t be throwing colored powders inside the venue\, our celebratory sharing of colors will include colorful dress\, kaleidoscopic visuals\, and complimentary glowsticks for our audience members. \n\nDoors open at 6:00 PM. Performance run time is 7:30-9:00 PM.\nPlan for extra time at entry for security check.\nSee the thestrandri.com for venue FAQs.\nOur friends from Extraordinary Rendition Band will play a strolling performance outside the venue at 6:30 PM\, then we all head inside for another short set before the main event!\nShow your ticket confirmation email at CHOP (Culinary Hub of Providence) for 20% off dinner* during show week! *Valid 3/31-4/5. Offer excludes alcohol purchases.\nA Red Baraat-inspired drink special\, “Bhangra on the Beach” will be available for purchase at The Strand bar – $14 cash or card\nThe band will have a merch table in the lobby
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/red-baraat-festival-of-colors/
LOCATION:The Strand Ballroom & Theatre\, 79 Washington Street\, Providence\, 02903
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250306T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250306T194500
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20241206T155643Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250226T152845Z
UID:10000370-1741285800-1741290300@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Future Folklore with Karim Nagi
DESCRIPTION:“A physical manifestation of beauty & joy” – Chicago Tribune  \nKARIM NAGI creates a future folklore. He weaves Arab tradition with a borderless exploration. His traditional Arabic music and dance emanate brightly\, reworking into an original expression of diaspora folklore. A multi-instrumentalist\, recording artist of 18 albums\, movement artist and TEDx speaker\, NAGI’s performances are dynamic and rich. He creates partnerships with his audiences\, verbally guiding them\, transporting each member on a provocative cultural excursion. \nAdditionally\, NAGI has an educational school assembly performance Arabiqa which has toured the USA and received two Doris Duke Building Bridges grants. He is a former Board member of Chamber Music America\, and a former adjunct faculty at New England Conservatory. He currently performs his solo play Detour Guide\, and tours with Arabiqa\, plus the Chicago-based group The Arab Blues. \nKNOW BEFORE YOU GO:\nShow your ticket confirmation email at CHOP (Culinary Hub of Providence) just downstairs from the venue for 20% off dinner* on the night of the show!\n*211 Washington Street. Offer excludes alcohol purchases. \nWe’re running a food drive for Better Lives RI! Bring your non-perishable food donation to our event check-in table outside the Donald J. Farish auditorium. \nDoors open at 6:00 PM. Performance run time is 6:30-7:45 PM. No admission after 7:00 PM.\nThe library will be closed\, but we’ll have staff at the 150 Empire St. entrance to greet you and direct you to the Donald J. Farish auditorium on the third floor.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/future-folklore-with-karim-nagi/
LOCATION:Providence Public Library\, 150 Empire Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Karim-Nagi-Event-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T164500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241206T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20241021T201315Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142024Z
UID:10000366-1733503500-1733518800@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:MASARY “Sound Sculpture” Interactive Light and Audio Experience
DESCRIPTION:Whether you’re a music lover\, a tech enthusiast\, or are just looking for a magical winter night out in Providence\, MASARY’s “Sound Sculpture” at Three Nights of Lights invites you to step into a glowing world of light and music that you have a hand in creating! \nWHAT IT IS:\n“Sound Sculpture” is an interactive sound and light instrument for spontaneous\, cooperative composition. 25 location-aware blocks comprise a massive\, wireless midi controller. Each cube represents a note in spatial dimension and time\, and your interaction with and placement of the cubes creates musical structures. Unique sound and lights scores are created and realized with each audience engagement. \nWHAT IT’S LIKE:\nThe experience is like walking onto sheet music\, picking up the musical notes and moving them around to change the pitch\, rhythm\, melody and harmony! \nKNOW BEFORE YOU GO\n✨ This interactive experience takes place from 4:45-9:00 PM\n📍 Biltmore Park is located in Downtown Providence next to the skating rink\, directly across Dorrance Street from The Graduate Hotel and diagonal across from the Tree Lighting Ceremony taking place at City Hall from 5:30-7:30 PM\n🎁 As part of the evening festivities\, FirstWorks is holding a special Toy Drive for Big Brother Big Sisters Rhode Island! Bring a new and unwrapped toy and help families celebrate the holiday season!\n🧊 Dress warmly! Friday’s forecast is clear\, cold and windy so bundle up\n🅿️ Free street parking is available around Downtown and covered parking for a low rate is available nearby at the Providence Place Mall\n☔ Rain date: Saturday\, December 7 \nABOUT MASARY:\nMASARY is a transdisciplinary artist collective reconsidering environments through site-specific installations using sound\, light\, interactivity\, and performance. Based in Boston\, the studio’s practice includes live percussion performance\, electronic music and production\, facade projection-mapped video\, artistic research\, technology and materials fabrication\, and the expansive use of animation. The studio is artist-owned and managed and was founded in 2015.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/masary-sound-sculpture-interactive-light-and-audio-experience/
LOCATION:Biltmore Park\, 10 Kennedy Plaza\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Sound-Sculptures-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T183000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20241107T195249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142026Z
UID:10000368-1732555800-1732559400@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Aretha Aoki and Ryan MacDonald
DESCRIPTION:Join Aretha Aoki and Ryan MacDonald for an evening of experimental performance and behind-the-scenes conversation about their lives as professional artists who blend dance\, music\, and theater. Together with their daughter\, Frankie Mayfield\, they will share segments of their new show\, IzumonookunI. \nIzumonookunI is a multidisciplinary and multigenerational dance inspired by Izumo no Okuni\, 17th century founder of the Japanese dance-drama form\, kabuki—a form that currently contains little trace of its female-centric\, grassroots\, counter-cultural origins. Choreographer Aretha Aoki and sound and visual designer Ryan MacDonald are re-imagining Okuni in conversation with post-punk/glam-goth/dark-wave within a hybrid\, contemporary landscape of live synthesizer\, digital design\, dance\, and taiko drumming. IzumonookunI premiered at the Bates Dance Festival in July 2024. \nARTIST BIOS\nAretha Aoki is a choreographer\, performer\, and educator. Her work in collaboration with Ryan MacDonald has been performed nationally and internationally\, with funding from the NPN Creation and Development funds\, the Kindling Fund\, Maine Arts Commission\, New England Foundation for the Arts\, and the Northampton Council for the Arts. She has performed and toured in the work of many award-winning choreographers\, most recently Heather Kravas. \nRyan Alexander MacDonald is a multimedia artist and author. He was a 2017 Bessie Award Nominee in “Outstanding Composition and Sound Design” for his work in Vanessa Anspaugh’s The End of Men. He is the author of the story collection The Observable Characteristics of Organisms (FC2) and the winner of the 2012 American Short(er) Fiction Award. He works in multiple forms with long-time collaborator and choreographer Aretha Aoki and has designed sound for choreographers such as Vanessa Anspaugh\, Devynn Emory\, Tristan Koepke and Rebecca Steinberg. He lives in Maine where he teaches sound design and digital art. www.ryanamacdonald.com
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/an-evening-with-aretha-aoki-and-ryan-macdonald/
LOCATION:Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Arts\, 350 Division Street\, Pawtucket\, RI\, 02860\, United States
CATEGORIES:For Teachers,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Aretha-Aoki-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241023T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241023T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240813T164709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142029Z
UID:10000304-1729706400-1729711800@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:BALA-BILA
DESCRIPTION:BALA-BILA brings together two African master musicians–Balla Kouyaté on balafon\, calabash\, bass guitar and voice\, and Matchume Zango on timbila\, mbira\, percussion and voice–through a live concert framed as an intercultural musical conversation between the two artists. Kouyaté\, from the West African country of Mali\, and Zango\, from the East African country of Mozambique\, are leading exponents of their respective principal instruments–BALAfon and timBILA–two world heritage instruments that are played together for the first time. \nThis living-room-style concert features Kouyaté and Zango as composers and multi-instrumentalists sharing the joy\, beauty and complexity of their music but also provides a unique opportunity for the audience to get to know Kouyaté and Zango as human beings\, artists\, ambassadors\, and global citizens as they explore their connection to each other\, their art\, and their cultural patrimony.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/bala-bila/
LOCATION:Providence Public Library\, 150 Empire Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bala-Bila-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241010T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241010T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240813T152840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142032Z
UID:10000303-1728583200-1728588600@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Jake Blount + Mali Obomsawin
DESCRIPTION:Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin are award-winning musicians who have joined forces on their Smithsonian Folkways release\, symbiont (2024). Blount (pronounced “blunt”) is a renowned interpreter of Black folk music who is recognized for his skill as a string band musician and for his unprecedented Afrofuturist work in sound archives and song collections. In his hands\, the banjo\, fiddle\, electric guitar\, and synthesizer become ceremonial objects used to channel the insurgent creativity of his forebears. Obomsawin (Odanak First Nation) is a celebrated composer\, bassist\, and vocalist in free jazz and experimental music. Obomsawin’s work as a composer and bandleader centers on the imprint of Indigenous music traditions in jazz and “American” genres\, using historical\, archival\, and community research as a spine for improvisation. \nOn symbiont\, Obomsawin’s and Blount’s “genrequeer” approach to their respective traditions has earned a place in some of the very same archives from which they extract their repertoire. In defiance of genre categories\, revisionist histories\, and linear time\, Blount and Obomsawin have fashioned an Indigenous and Afrofuturist folklore that disintegrates the boundaries between acoustic and electric\, artist and medium\, and ancestor and progeny.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/jake-blount-mali-obomsawin/
LOCATION:Providence Public Library\, 150 Empire Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Jake-Mali-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241009T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241009T183000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20241003T201433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142035Z
UID:10000364-1728495000-1728498600@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Creative Conversation with Jake Blount
DESCRIPTION:This Creative Conversation features artist Jake Blount; Adrienne Taylor\, Resident Musician at Community MusicWorks; and Professor Jamille Pinheiro Dias\, visiting faculty at Brown University. Moderated by Sebastian Ruth\, Founder and Artistic Director of Community MusicWorks. \nJoin Community MusicWorks (CMW) and FirstWorks as panelists share insights about their creative processes and the meaning-making involved in their artistic practices\, which draw on their culturally specific histories and personal experiences. \nThis conversation is free\, open to the public\, and a great way to celebrate CMW’s new space!
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/creative-conversation-with-jake-blount/
LOCATION:Community MusicWorks Center\, 1326 Westminster Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02909\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Creative-Conversation-Jake-Blount-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240907T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240907T200000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240826T123543Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142424Z
UID:10000349-1725737400-1725739200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Spectacle: Italy's eVenti Verticali
DESCRIPTION:After spellbinding performances at PVDFest 2019\, the gravity-defying Italian aerialists return with SPHERE\, a thrilling new 30-minute spectacle delivered by five aerial dancers suspended from a crane some 60 feet above the ground. The performance begins with the “stage\,” a transparent sphere\, deflated and shapeless with one aerialist suspended inside. The sphere is raised high overhead by the crane\, becoming a gigantic\, fully inflated and stunning globe\, transforming into a place where everything comes alive. Five aerialists take the audience on a journey reflecting on our miraculous lives here\, on our planet earth. \nPerformance Dates/Times\nFriday\, September 6\n4:45-5:15 PM\n7:00-7:30 PM \nSaturday\, September 7\n2:30-3:00 PM\n7:30-8:00 PM
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-spectacle-italys-eventi-verticali/2024-09-07/2/
LOCATION:PVDFest Spectacle Stage\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/eVenti-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.825518;-71.410933
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240907T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240907T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240823T134806Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142039Z
UID:10000315-1725726600-1725737400@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Sidy Maiga presents: 12th Annual Afrika Nyaga Drum and Dance Festival
DESCRIPTION:Sidy Maiga returns to PVDFest with the 12th annual Afrika Nyaga Drum & Dance Festival\, a ground-shaking celebration of West African music and dance and its influence on the African diaspora. \nMaiga envisions Afrika Nyaga as a sonic synthesis of African traditions and Rhode Island’s diverse communities. The festival nurtures artistic exchange through the universal language of music across cultures\, ages\, and nationalities. Local acts brew their beats alongside world-class contemporary artists\, resulting in a fête that celebrates the vibrant variation of African rhythms. \nPerformers and Lineup: \nEmcee: Valerie Tutson from Rhode Island Black Storytellers\n4:30 – 5:00 PM: Manolo Mairena & La Pura Vida\n5:00 – 5:15 PM: The Providence Drum Troupe\n5:20 – 5:55 PM: Denis Graca\n6:10 – 7:30 PM: Sidy Maiga & The Bridge Where We Meet with Haus of Glitter
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/sidy-maiga-presents-12th-annual-afrika-nyaga-drum-and-dance-festival/
LOCATION:City Hall Stage\, 25 Dorrance Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Sidy-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240907T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240907T150000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240826T123543Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142424Z
UID:10000348-1725719400-1725721200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Spectacle: Italy's eVenti Verticali
DESCRIPTION:After spellbinding performances at PVDFest 2019\, the gravity-defying Italian aerialists return with SPHERE\, a thrilling new 30-minute spectacle delivered by five aerial dancers suspended from a crane some 60 feet above the ground. The performance begins with the “stage\,” a transparent sphere\, deflated and shapeless with one aerialist suspended inside. The sphere is raised high overhead by the crane\, becoming a gigantic\, fully inflated and stunning globe\, transforming into a place where everything comes alive. Five aerialists take the audience on a journey reflecting on our miraculous lives here\, on our planet earth. \nPerformance Dates/Times\nFriday\, September 6\n4:45-5:15 PM\n7:00-7:30 PM \nSaturday\, September 7\n2:30-3:00 PM\n7:30-8:00 PM
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-spectacle-italys-eventi-verticali/2024-09-07/1/
LOCATION:PVDFest Spectacle Stage\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/eVenti-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.825518;-71.410933
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240812T184143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142129Z
UID:10000301-1725651000-1725656400@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Salsa Night with Lulada Club
DESCRIPTION:New York’s All-Women Salsa Orchestra\n \nExperience the captivating rhythms of Lulada Club\, the electrifying all-women salsa band setting the New York City music scene ablaze. These accomplished and brilliant musicians are infused with an irresistible blend of vibrancy and skill. Bring your dancing shoes and join in with a lesson from Providence’s own instructor Rodney Eric Lopez* as these remarkable women command the stage\, welcoming salsa fans of all levels and ages. \n*Pre-concert salsa workshop 7:00-7:30 pm
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/salsa-night-with-lulada-club/
LOCATION:City Hall Stage\, 25 Dorrance Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lulada-Club-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240826T123543Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142424Z
UID:10000347-1725649200-1725651000@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Spectacle: Italy's eVenti Verticali
DESCRIPTION:After spellbinding performances at PVDFest 2019\, the gravity-defying Italian aerialists return with SPHERE\, a thrilling new 30-minute spectacle delivered by five aerial dancers suspended from a crane some 60 feet above the ground. The performance begins with the “stage\,” a transparent sphere\, deflated and shapeless with one aerialist suspended inside. The sphere is raised high overhead by the crane\, becoming a gigantic\, fully inflated and stunning globe\, transforming into a place where everything comes alive. Five aerialists take the audience on a journey reflecting on our miraculous lives here\, on our planet earth. \nPerformance Dates/Times\nFriday\, September 6\n4:45-5:15 PM\n7:00-7:30 PM \nSaturday\, September 7\n2:30-3:00 PM\n7:30-8:00 PM
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-spectacle-italys-eventi-verticali/2024-09-06/2/
LOCATION:PVDFest Spectacle Stage\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/eVenti-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.825518;-71.410933
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T190000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240905T175338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142131Z
UID:10000362-1725643800-1725649200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Chip Doug presents: Stargazing @ PVDFest
DESCRIPTION:An explosion of raw talent grown in Divine Providence. Get ready to witness a soulful blend of hip-hop\, R&B and dance. Anchored by Providence’s own DJ Nyce Hitz along with Derrick Jones and band\, the show will highlight various genres of music. Once the first beat starts\, the audience will be on a captivating ride through sound\, movement and verse. Renowned muralist Agonza will also be doing a live painting on stage while all the magic is happening. Pull up to City Hall Stage at 5:30pm and stargaze with us. \nPerformers / Social Handles:\nChip Doug IG: @chipdoug\nScribe (hip hop)  IG: @christo_scribe\nCarine (singer)   FB: @Carine Paul\nNinie 330 (hip hop) IG: iamninie330\nAnthony Sosa (singer) IG: @anthony.sosaxx\nTrav Black (hip hop) IG: @trav_blvck\nCassius  (singer)   IG: @nativecash\nMary Gipson (singer)  IG: @marygipsontv\nNvno (dancer)   IG: @nvno97\nSarya (dancer)  IG: saryakosal\nKAE (hip hop)  IG: @kaelyn__01\nTye Cooper (hip hop)  IG: @thetyecoopershow\nTrxck (dancer)   IG: @trxckofficial\nP. Lowe (saxophonist)  @p.lowemusic\nJackie Medina (singer)  IG: @iamjackiemedina\nAS220 Youth (youth ensemble) IG: as220.youth\nIvan Brooks (singer)  IG: @ivanbrooksmusic\nDevonish (singer)  IG: tiff.dev\nRiel Santana (latino artist) @rielsantana\nAgonza (muralist/painter) IG: @agonzaart\nHotinRI (videographer) IG: @hotinridotcom\nNyce (DJ) IG: @nycehitz\nDerrick  (drummer) IG: @derricksjonesjr\nBig Walt (keyboardist)  IG:  @therealbigwalt\nGene (keyboardist) IG: @genenewbreed\nJeremiah (bass)  IG: @miahthebassman
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/chip-doug-presents-stargazing-pvdfest/
LOCATION:City Hall Stage\, 25 Dorrance Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Stargazing-at-PVDFest-flyer.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T164500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240906T171500
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240826T123543Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142424Z
UID:10000354-1725641100-1725642900@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Spectacle: Italy's eVenti Verticali
DESCRIPTION:After spellbinding performances at PVDFest 2019\, the gravity-defying Italian aerialists return with SPHERE\, a thrilling new 30-minute spectacle delivered by five aerial dancers suspended from a crane some 60 feet above the ground. The performance begins with the “stage\,” a transparent sphere\, deflated and shapeless with one aerialist suspended inside. The sphere is raised high overhead by the crane\, becoming a gigantic\, fully inflated and stunning globe\, transforming into a place where everything comes alive. Five aerialists take the audience on a journey reflecting on our miraculous lives here\, on our planet earth. \nPerformance Dates/Times\nFriday\, September 6\n4:45-5:15 PM\n7:00-7:30 PM \nSaturday\, September 7\n2:30-3:00 PM\n7:30-8:00 PM
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-spectacle-italys-eventi-verticali/2024-09-06/1/
LOCATION:PVDFest Spectacle Stage\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
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GEO:41.825518;-71.410933
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240906
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240908
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240610T161421Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142222Z
UID:10000285-1725580800-1725753599@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:PVDFest
DESCRIPTION:The Signature Arts Festival of Our Creative Capital \nMayor Brett P. Smiley\, the City’s Department of Art\, Culture\, Tourism and Producing Partner FirstWorks once again host PVDFest\, Providence’s signature outdoor arts festival\, September 6-7\, 2024. This year’s festival returns to the beating heart of Downtown\, animating the streets of the Creative Capital with astonishing international and local performances\, art installations\, parades\, artisan markets\, and world-class cuisine. Discover a vibrant\, cultural experience unlike anything else in the region.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/pvdfest-2/
LOCATION:Downtown Providence\, 25 Dorrance Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PVDFest24-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240726T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240726T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240621T131037Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142249Z
UID:10000290-1722016800-1722022200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Summer Beats Bonus Concert: Swanky Kitchen Band
DESCRIPTION:Come dance with us during Food Truck Friday! \nSwanky Kitchen Band is on an essential quest to revive the traditional music of the Cayman Islands. Set amidst the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea\, the three tiny islands are home to Kitchen Dance Music\, an infectiously danceable fiddle-driven style. The Kitchen Dance sound\, created through a crossroads of European and African influences\, nearly disappeared save for the efforts of Swanky Kitchen Band\, the last of the Caymanian Kitchen Bands. Led by fiddler/songwriter Samuel Rose\, the 10-piece group is named after a popular local beverage- “swanky.” With instruments including a grater (commonly used in traditional kitchens for hand-processing coconut or cassava)\, guitars\, harmonica\, a rock-solid rhythm section and vocalists telling stories of the old and new Cayman\, Swanky Kitchen Band\, beloved in their home islands\, moves audiences anywhere they go. \nBring a lawn chair or picnic blanket – bring a friend! \nAccessibility info: \n\nWheelchair accessible sidewalk leading to a grass lawn\nAccessible bathrooms nearby (at the Roger Williams Park Carousel)\nEarplugs available\nFor questions about accessibility\, contact Rainy Stanford
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-summer-beats-bonus-concert-swanky-kitchen-band/
LOCATION:Roger Williams Park Dalrymple Boathouse Lawn\, 1000 Elmwood Ave\, Providence\, RI\, 02905\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Swanky-Kitchen-Band-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.7842963722;-71.4125566933
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Roger Williams Park Dalrymple Boathouse Lawn 1000 Elmwood Ave Providence RI 02905 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1000 Elmwood Ave:geo:-71.4125566933,41.7842963722
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240721T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240721T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240521T201809Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142252Z
UID:10000283-1721584800-1721590200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts: La Excelencia
DESCRIPTION:The third concert of this year’s FirstWorks Summer Beats concert series transports audiences to the dance floors of New York City’s Salsa scene with an electrifying performance by La Excelencia. The 12-piece Salsa Dura band is inspired by the salsa sounds of the 1970’s and the sociopolitical landscape of today. La Excelencia’s in-your-face sound and energetic live performances reach outside of the salsa norm and have propelled the band to mainstream audiences around the world. Their music combines traditional salsa elements with a modern and unapologetic sound to invigorate social mindedness amidst a powerful and danceable soundtrack. \nCome early for pre-show workshops:\n4:30-4:50 PM: Music demonstration with La Excelencia\n4:50-5:30 PM: Intro to Salsa dance workshop with Mambo Pa Ti\nWorkshop description: Join Mambo Pa Ti for a fun beginners workshop! We will cover basic steps and partner work\, helping you understand rhythm enjoyably and engagingly. Perfect for those new to dance or looking to refresh their skills. Come dance with us!\n\nOur event will MC’d by Lydia Perez\, founder and artistic director of the Puerto Rican Institute of Arts and Advocacy\, Inc. \nAccessibility info: \n\nWheelchair accessible\nAccessible bathrooms nearby (at the Roger Williams Park Casino)\nChairs available (first-come\, first-served)\nEarplugs available\n\nFor questions about accessibility\, contact Rainy Stanford
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-summer-beats-concerts-la-excelencia/
LOCATION:Roger Williams Park Bandstand\, Providence\, RI\, 02907\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/La-Excelencia-Event-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.78338;-71.41672
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240714T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240714T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240502T154840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142255Z
UID:10000279-1720980000-1720985400@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts: QUITAPENAS
DESCRIPTION:QUITAPENAS\, one word – all caps\, four syllables – all claps\, gives you a taste of their rhythmic contagion. This tropical Afro-Latin combo was born under the warm California sun. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 60s\, 70s and 80s. Each song echoes a remix of history and invites one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola\, Peru\, Colombia\, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of QUITAPENAS is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry. \nQUITAPENAS was founded in 2011. The band was formed around their shared love of dance rhythms from the Tropical Afro Latin diaspora. They assembled a group of like-minded friends to share the vision that went on to be QUITAPENAS. The group is made up of first-generation sons of immigrant parents from Guatemala and Mexico. \nCome early for pre-show workshops:\n3:30-4:30 PM: Capoiera/Maculele with Grupo Ondas **moved to the air-conditioned Casino❄️ just up the hill from the Bandstand**\n4:30-5:30 PM: Cumbia music workshop with QUITAPENAS **at the Bandstand**\nOur event will emceed by Lydia Perez\, founder and artistic director of the Puerto Rican Institute of Arts and Advocacy\, Inc. \nIn the event of rain or disruptive weather\, the events will be moved indoors to the Roger Williams Park Casino\, located on the hill above the Bandstand – stay tuned to our social media for any announcements. \nAccessibility info: \n\nWheelchair accessible\nAccessible bathrooms nearby (at the Roger Williams Park Casino)\nChairs available (first-come\, first-served)\nEarplugs available\nFor questions about accessibility\, contact Rainy Stanford
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-summer-beats-concerts-quitapenas/
LOCATION:Roger Williams Park Bandstand\, Providence\, RI\, 02907\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/QUITAPENAS-Event-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.78338;-71.41672
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240711T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240711T193000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240502T160525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142354Z
UID:10000281-1720720800-1720726200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts: Dobet Gnahoré
DESCRIPTION:While Africa has blessed the world with many recognized female artists\, Dobet Gnahoré has proven herself to be a truly special talent. Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire\, Dobet is a virtuosic singer\, dancer\, percussionist\, and songwriter who has taken the modern Afropop sounds of her country in exciting new directions. A 2010 GRAMMY winner\, Dobet Gnahoré is well known for her jaw-dropping dance moves\, powerful stage presence and richly emotional vocal style. Her music is filled with danceable grooves\, electronic beats\, nimble electric guitar lines and catchy melodic hooks. Gnahoré sings in multiple languages\, including the diverse indigenous languages of her native land\, as well as French and English\, to better convey her optimistic message and reach broader audiences. Through her music\, she pays tribute to the women of today and tomorrow and aims to use her words and image to empower a new generation of daring\, strong and independent African women. \nCome early for pre-show workshops! Here’s the schedule:\n4:15-4:30 PM – Performance by AS220 Youth Dance emceed by Chip Doug\n4:30-5:30 PM – Music workshop with Dobet Gnahoré\n5:30-6:00 PM *break*\n6:00-7:30 PM – Dobet Gnahoré in concert\n7:30 PM – get your CD signed by Dobet\nThroughout: Food vending by Incredabowl (~5:00 PM-end) and Artisan creations by K & A Crochet \n\nIn the event of rain or disruptive weather\, the events will be moved indoors to the Roger Williams Park Casino\, located on the hill above the Bandstand – stay tuned to our social media for any announcements.\n\nAccessibility info: \n\nWheelchair accessible\nAccessible bathrooms nearby (at the Roger Williams Park Casino)\nChairs available (first-come\, first-served)\nEarplugs available\nFor questions about accessibility\, contact Rainy Stanford
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-summer-beats-concerts-dobet-gnahore/
LOCATION:Roger Williams Park Bandstand\, Providence\, RI\, 02907\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2024-2025
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Dobet-Gnahore-Event-Thumb-Image-New-500x500-1.jpg
GEO:41.78338;-71.41672
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240502T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240502T220000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240223T174157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142259Z
UID:10000275-1714676400-1714687200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:FirstWorks' 20th Anniversary Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate 20 years of FirstWorks!\nMix and mingle with fellow supporters and friends over thrilling performances\, drinks and small bites in our pop-up nightclub. \nRaise a glass to FirstWorks and raise your pulse to the passionate dance and music of flamenco legends Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca\, plus special appearances by FirstWorks friends Becky Bass and Sidy Maiga with DJ Brazao.  \nOur evening program includes:   \n\n Two sensational sets by Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca\n Steel pan and vocals by Becky Bass\n Djembefola Sidy Maiga with DJ Brazao\n Exciting raffle prizes from Lowes Hotels & Co.\, G Hospitality\, and The VETS [Click here for a preview!]\nClick here to view the evening program schedule [opens in PDF]\n\nYour $75 General Admission ticket supports FirstWorks programs in Rhode Island.\nFestive cocktail attire encouraged!\nKnow Before You Go: Enter the venue at 100 Weybosset Street. Valet parking is available for a fee at the GPS venue address of 100 Dorrance Street. \nLevel up in support of our 20th anniversary!\nJoin our Honorary Host Committee with a leading gift of $1\,000 and receive at-event special recognition plus two tickets. Contact FirstWorks Development Director Abigail Comtois acomtois@firstworks.org/401-421-4278 to learn more. Or\, you may make your $1\,000 donation directly here – please be sure to direct your donation to the Honorary Host Committee. \nMany thanks to our Honorary Host Committee members!\nAidan & Kate Petrie\nBill & Helena Foulkes\nBuff Chace & Jenn Bramley\nCatherine & Rob Taylor\nChris Cannon\nDeming & Jane Sherman\nElizabeth Howlett & Mike DiBiase\nFred & Joyce Butler\nIsabelle & Alex Tadmoury\nJohnnie Chace\nKara & David Milner\nKathleen Pletcher & Jay Coogan\nKyle & John Adamonis\nLeslie Ravestein & Richard Lewis\nLorne Adrain & Victoria Huijie Zhu\nMelissa Snape\nNormand & Nancy Benoit\nRichard & Margaret Ratcliffe\nStanley & Beth Weiss\nTomás & Eva Ávila\nWendy & Andrew Kagan\nWendy MacGaw\nWilliam H. Warren & Ellie Siegel
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/firstworks-20th-anniversary-celebration/
LOCATION:Ballroom at The Providence G\, 100 Dorrance Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20th-BoxOffice_1080x1080px_FINAL.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240315T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240315T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062211
CREATED:20240222T205912Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142302Z
UID:10000273-1710531000-1710536400@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Small Island Big Song
DESCRIPTION:“Beautiful cinematography and incredible music … one coherent\, jaw-dropping piece.’’\n— Billboard Asia\, Japan \nExperience a transcendent musical journey combining song\, spoken word and cinematic visuals filmed over a multi-year voyage across 16 island nations. \nThe musicians in Small Island Big Song would tell you that the ocean does not divide their island homes — it connects them. In this inspiring multimedia concert confronting climate change\, renowned First Nation artists from across the Pacific and Indian Oceans unite to blend  traditions and create music celebrating the ways we are all connected. From irresistible oceanic grooves to soulful island ballads\, the result is a breathtakingly beautiful sound made by those who sing for the seas.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/small-island-big-song/
LOCATION:The Strand Ballroom & Theatre\, 79 Washington Street\, Providence\, 02903
CATEGORIES:Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SIBS-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240312T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240312T190000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20240221T210930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142304Z
UID:10000277-1710264600-1710270000@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Climate Change: Our Response as Artivists Panel Talk
DESCRIPTION:Brown Arts Institute and FirstWorks co-host a conversation about the responsibilities of artist-activists to address the urgent issues of climate change. \nOn the occasion of multi-hyphenate artist Tanya Tagaq’s residency at Brown and the presentation of the music\, film\, and performing arts project Small Island Big Song (SIBS) in Providence\, Brown Arts Institute and FirstWorks co-host a conversation between Tagaq and SIBS company members about the responsibilities of artist-activists to address the urgent issues of climate change. Conversants ask us the question: “What will we tell our children if we fail to protect our planet?” Selections from documentary and creative film works by Tagaq and SIBS will also be shared. Moderated by BaoBao Chen\, co-founder and creative producer of Small Island Big Song. Welcome by Lynsea Montanari\, from Tomaquag Museum Indigenous Empowerment Center.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/climate-change-our-response-as-artivists-panel-talk/
LOCATION:Granoff Center for the Arts – Martinos Auditorium\, 154 Angell Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02906\, United States
CATEGORIES:Educational Program,For Teachers,Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SIBS-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231203T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231203T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20230926T130039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142446Z
UID:10000265-1701622800-1701637200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:A new multimedia installation by MASARY Studios
DESCRIPTION:Commissioned by FirstWorks \nMultimedia performance installation on view December 1-3\, 2023\, 5:00-9:00 PM\nLive ensemble performance on Saturday\, December 2\, 2023\, 5:00-9:00 PM \nFirstWorks presents a site-specific performance installation\, Recursion and Release\, commissioned from Boston’s MASARY Studios\, to premiere at the historic Grace Church during downtown Providence’s Three Nights of Lights celebration. MASARY’s immersive work explores three environments at the Grace Church campus through an acoustic vocal ensemble\, digital audio manipulation\, video projection and dynamic lighting. The experience features a new composition for vocal ensemble by pioneering composer\, bandleader\, and multi-instrumentalist Kitty Brazelton. Attendees will encounter spatialized sound and light as they move through the installation. \n*Photosensitivity Warning: Bright lights will be used at this event
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/a-new-multimedia-installation-by-masary-studios/2023-12-03/
LOCATION:Grace Church\, 300 Westminster Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MASARY-Thumb-Image-NEW-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231202T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231202T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20230926T130039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142446Z
UID:10000264-1701536400-1701550800@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:A new multimedia installation by MASARY Studios
DESCRIPTION:Commissioned by FirstWorks \nMultimedia performance installation on view December 1-3\, 2023\, 5:00-9:00 PM\nLive ensemble performance on Saturday\, December 2\, 2023\, 5:00-9:00 PM \nFirstWorks presents a site-specific performance installation\, Recursion and Release\, commissioned from Boston’s MASARY Studios\, to premiere at the historic Grace Church during downtown Providence’s Three Nights of Lights celebration. MASARY’s immersive work explores three environments at the Grace Church campus through an acoustic vocal ensemble\, digital audio manipulation\, video projection and dynamic lighting. The experience features a new composition for vocal ensemble by pioneering composer\, bandleader\, and multi-instrumentalist Kitty Brazelton. Attendees will encounter spatialized sound and light as they move through the installation. \n*Photosensitivity Warning: Bright lights will be used at this event
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/a-new-multimedia-installation-by-masary-studios/2023-12-02/
LOCATION:Grace Church\, 300 Westminster Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MASARY-Thumb-Image-NEW-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231201T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231201T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20230926T130039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T142446Z
UID:10000263-1701450000-1701464400@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:A new multimedia installation by MASARY Studios
DESCRIPTION:Commissioned by FirstWorks \nMultimedia performance installation on view December 1-3\, 2023\, 5:00-9:00 PM\nLive ensemble performance on Saturday\, December 2\, 2023\, 5:00-9:00 PM \nFirstWorks presents a site-specific performance installation\, Recursion and Release\, commissioned from Boston’s MASARY Studios\, to premiere at the historic Grace Church during downtown Providence’s Three Nights of Lights celebration. MASARY’s immersive work explores three environments at the Grace Church campus through an acoustic vocal ensemble\, digital audio manipulation\, video projection and dynamic lighting. The experience features a new composition for vocal ensemble by pioneering composer\, bandleader\, and multi-instrumentalist Kitty Brazelton. Attendees will encounter spatialized sound and light as they move through the installation. \n*Photosensitivity Warning: Bright lights will be used at this event
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/a-new-multimedia-installation-by-masary-studios/2023-12-01/
LOCATION:Grace Church\, 300 Westminster Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MASARY-Thumb-Image-NEW-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231118T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231118T213000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20230724T110018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T140645Z
UID:10000255-1700337600-1700343000@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Rennie Harris Presents: Rome & Jewels
DESCRIPTION:“The most brilliant hip-hop choreographer in America” (The New Yorker)\, Rennie Harris restages his breakout masterpiece\, Rome & Jewels. A story of love\, fear\, violence and triumph\, Rome & Jewels challenges preconceived notions of Shakespeare with a hip-hop journey through the streets of Philadelphia. The evening-length production was groundbreaking globally\, winning numerous awards as it explored racial\, religious and economic questions through the lens of gang violence. “The Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene” (The London Times)\, legendary choreographer Harris reinvents a timeless tale to embody the diverse African-Diasporic traditions of the past and to pave the way for innovative storytelling through dance. \nRennie Harris Presents: Rome & Jewels was the 2023 New York Times Critic’s Pick! Read the review here. \nContent Advisory: Rennie Harris Presents: Rome & Jewels contains strong language and is not recommended for young children.\nRun time is 75 minutes\, no intermission. An artist-up close conversation with RHPM company members will take place immediately following the performance.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/rennie-harris-presents-rome-jewels/
LOCATION:THE VETS\, One Avenue of the Arts\, Providence\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season,Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/RHPM-ROME-AND-JEWELS-Thumb-Image-600x400-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T200000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20231030T075352Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T140649Z
UID:10000269-1700244000-1700251200@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Dance Floor Dialogues
DESCRIPTION:Co-hosted by FirstWorks and Brown Arts Institute at Brown University \nUsing dance as a catalyst for conversation between the Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater company members and the local community of movers\, host Chip Douglas will facilitate the dialogue on the dance floor with his invited guest artists\, who specialize in hip hop\, freestyle\, ballet\, breaking and Afrobeat. Join us and groove to the rhythms of DJ Franchise. And yes\, moving makes you hungry\, so food will also be provided! Please RSVP using the “Attend” button. \nPre-event:\nSpecial 5:30pm viewing of Carrie Mae Weems: Varying Shades of Brown at the Main Hall and Attanasio Family Promenade of the Lindemann Performing Arts Center. More info.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/dance-floor-dialogues/
LOCATION:William Riley Hall at The Lindemann Performing Arts Center\, 144 Angell St.\, Providence\, RI\, 02906\, United States
CATEGORIES:Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dance-Dialogue-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231109T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231109T203000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20231020T155117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T140652Z
UID:10000271-1699558200-1699561800@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Virtual talk with Rennie Harris and Jessica T. Pearson
DESCRIPTION:Join us for this special virtual artist talk with legendary choreographer\, Rennie Harris\, as he talks about the restaging of his classic work\, Rome & Jewels\, with his company Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater (RHPM). Critically acclaimed as an Elizabethan masterpiece Rome & Jewels is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in the streets of Philadelphia. The production broke ground nationally and internationally\, winning 3 Bessie awards\, a Shakespeare Theater Award\, and a nomination for the United Kingdom’s Lawrence Olivier award. Rennie Harris Puremovement is the longest-running street dance theater company in American history and is “the” preeminent ambassador and elder of Hip-hop and Street dance culture. \nIn conversation with Rennie is Providence-based dancer\, educator and choreographer\, Jessica T. Pearson. Jessica is an Associate Professor of Dance at Rhode Island College and has danced with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble\, Gesel Mason and Concepts In Motion (Bermuda). She has been invited to teach and choreograph at Ballet West\, Brown University\, Providence College\, Salve Regina University\,  University of Kentucky Lexington\, Utah Regional Ballet and has taught overseas. Her choreography has been presented at Urbanity Next (Boston) and Utah Regional Ballet. She received her MFA in Dance from the University of Colorado\, Boulder where she studied dance pedagogy\, dance wellness and choreography and holds a BFA from Towson University in Dance Performance.
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/virtual-talk-with-rennie-harris-and-jessica-t-pearson/
LOCATION:This is a Zoom event
CATEGORIES:Educational Program,Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rennie-Talk-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230910T140000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230910T180000
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20230614T170535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T140655Z
UID:10000238-1694354400-1694368800@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Afrika Nyaga Drum & Dance Festival
DESCRIPTION:Sidy Maiga is producing his eleventh annual Afrika Nyaga drum and dance festival celebrating African culture and the Diaspora in collaboration with Providence Foundation at PVDFest. \n\nThe event brings together both international and local musicians and this year takes place on Sunday\, September 10\, 2023 from 2-6 p.m.\nLineup\nWunmi\nMaster Soumy\nSidy Maiga & The Brige Where We Meet with Special Guest Oumou Sangaré\n\nAlso Featuring\nManolo Mairena & La Pura Vida\nHaus of Glitter Dance Company\nProjetu Batuku
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/afrika-nyaga-drum-dance-festival-celebrates-african-culture-in-ri/
LOCATION:195 District Park\, 120 Peck Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Afrika-Nyaga-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230909T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230909T191500
DTSTAMP:20260515T062212
CREATED:20230614T170503Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T140658Z
UID:10000236-1694282400-1694286900@firstworks.org
SUMMARY:Mavis Staples
DESCRIPTION:Mavis Staples is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winner and Gospel Hall of Famer— living\, breathing history. She made a name for herself in the 1950s as part of The Staple Singers\, went on to contribute to the freedom songs of the Civil Rights era\, and later rose to pop radio stardom with hits like “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself.”​ \nNow in her eighth decade of singing truth\, she has a presence “so unfailingly joyful that you never take your eyes off her” (The New Yorker). On September 9th\, Chicago’s own Mavis Staples will bring her iconic smoky sound to the PVDFest mainstage in a scintillating evening of soul\, gospel and her signature brand of R&B.​ \nWith her trademark deep growl more powerful than ever\, Staples shouts\, croons\, scats\, swoops\, and testifies like no one else can.​
URL:https://firstworks.org/event/mavis-staples/
LOCATION:195 District Park\, 120 Peck Street\, Providence\, RI\, 02903\, United States
CATEGORIES:PVDFest,Season 2023-2024
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://firstworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Mavis-Staples-Thumb-Image-500x500-1.jpg
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