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 […]
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. The event brings together both international and local musicians and this year takes place on Sunday, September 10, 2023 from 2-6 p.m. Lineup Wunmi Master Soumy Sidy Maiga & The Brige Where We Meet with Special Guest Oumou […]
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 […]
Co-hosted by FirstWorks and Brown Arts Institute at Brown University Using 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, […]
“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 […]
Commissioned by FirstWorks Multimedia performance installation on view December 1-3, 2023, 5:00-9:00 PM Live ensemble performance on Saturday, December 2, 2023, 5:00-9:00 PM FirstWorks 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 […]
Commissioned by FirstWorks Multimedia performance installation on view December 1-3, 2023, 5:00-9:00 PM Live ensemble performance on Saturday, December 2, 2023, 5:00-9:00 PM FirstWorks 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 […]
Commissioned by FirstWorks Multimedia performance installation on view December 1-3, 2023, 5:00-9:00 PM Live ensemble performance on Saturday, December 2, 2023, 5:00-9:00 PM FirstWorks 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 […]
Brown Arts Institute and FirstWorks co-host a conversation about the responsibilities of artist-activists to address the urgent issues of climate change. On 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 […]
"Beautiful cinematography and incredible music … one coherent, jaw-dropping piece.’’ — Billboard Asia, Japan Experience a transcendent musical journey combining song, spoken word and cinematic visuals filmed over a multi-year voyage across 16 island nations. The musicians in Small Island Big Song would tell you that the ocean does not divide their island homes — […]
Celebrate 20 years of FirstWorks! Mix and mingle with fellow supporters and friends over thrilling performances, drinks and small bites in our pop-up nightclub. Raise 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 […]
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 […]
