upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
Vena will recreate dance-theater work paying tribute to the African American artists who performed on the cabaret circuit during the 1930s and 1940s, many of whom were blacklisted from Hollywood and other mainstream platforms, because they demanded equal pay and refused to play for segregated audiences. Vena’s goals are to engage audiences and create dialogue about pioneering African American artists who used their celebrity and artistic talents as tools for activism and social justice.