JACK Arts Center Launches "Forward Ferguson" Series

Performer Andre Zachery. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Neville/JACK).

The latest performance series to come out of local arts nonprofit JACK is called “Forward Ferguson” and, as its title suggests, its collection of dance, theater, music, and performance art is curated to move Brooklyn and America’s conversation about racial justice and social justice forward in the wake of 2014’s events in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as in Staten Island and across the country.

We spoke with JACK co-founder/artistic director Alec Duffy about the series — which is running through June and is a collaboration with several other local groups — and why youth and adults alike should attend (and participate).

What inspired “Forward Ferguson” and what is the goal?

“Forward Ferguson” came out of us thinking about how best JACK could serve the current movement for racial justice in America. We put it together pretty quickly after the Eric Garner non-indictment. We wanted our space to to be a space for continued conversation, and, as an arts venue, wanted to play to our strengths by not only hosting community discussions but by featuring performances that grappled with these issues.

Some performances, like “Dark Diction,” had already been scheduled before the Eric Garner non-indictment, and, after talking with the organizers Social Health Performance Club, we decided it would be appropriate to fold the performances into the larger series.

What type of events are included?

Events in the series include a public discussions on neighborhood-police relations (January 21); monthly readings of “Strange Fruit,” a Black-authored anti-lynching drama of the early 1900s (February 8, March 8, April 12, May 17 and June 7); a Freedom Songs Festival with songs from the 1960s and today (February 19-22); and performances by the emerging dance collective Wildcat! (June 11-14).

There are also performances by our resident youth theater company Truthworker (May 7-9) and a benefit party for a local activist group, Equality for Flatbush (April 8).

What organizations are involved and is this aimed towards youth or to the community as a whole? For various events in the series, we’re partnering with other organizations, including a local political club, Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform, and a local activist group, Equality for Flatbush. The series is aimed towards the community as a whole, although our youth theater company-in-residence, Truthworker, is a part of the series.

What is the power of creative works in furthering serious conversations such as these?

We’re trying to find out what is the power of creative works in furthering these conversations. We’re not really sure what kind of impact they inspire, and so this is an experiment for us. Sometimes we just need to engage by being present and step outside our role as artists, as humans.

What observations have you noticed thus far in our Brooklyn neighborhoods, in terms of what voices people bring to the table and what makes them unique and powerful?

We’re experimenting with trying to be as inclusive a space as possible, in order that all voices feel welcome. We certainly are a new element in the neighborhood, and so are hyper-aware of the dangers of being perceived as exclusive, as many of the new restaurants and cafes are (those that hire only white employees, except for the back kitchen, for example). We try to program as diverse a slate of voices in our season as possible, inside and outside of this series.

Learn more about JACK and its 2015 season by browsing their website, Facebook page, and Twitter @jackartsny.