Arts For Action

The panel discussion will be moderated by Neki Mohan (Pictured Above Left), an adjunct professor at Barry University who served as a broadcast journalist at WPLG for 16 years. (Right) Acclaimed musicians: Black Violin, Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, has launched Arts for Action to lift voices that are vital to the Broward community with an emphasis on how the arts and artists can be a force for change in addressing critical issues of social justice and of, racial inequality.

Arts for Action: Black Voices will feature discussions, performances, art-making events, both virtually and in person and will culminate in an outdoor arts festival in Esplanade Park, next year. The project will launch with Bridging the Gap on June 2nd 2021 at 6:30 p.m., a moderated discussion featuring Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus, the acclaimed musicians known as: Black Violin.

“The Broward Center is in a unique position to bring diverse artists and the community together, to explore critical social issues, that can lead to change,” said Broward Center President and CEO, Kelley Shanley. “It begins as a community effort to amplify voices with the Community Foundation of Broward, generously providing the funding through their Art of Community grant. Wil and Kev first came to the Broward Center as students seeing a SEAS school-day performance and later appeared on our stages to sell-out crowds. Now, they return in an important role as social activists. We share a common goal: to promote understanding, equity and inclusion through the arts.”

Bridging the Gap: A conversation about race and the performing arts, on June 2nd 2021, will feature a roundtable with Black Violin joined by Broadway Actor and Performance Coach, Syndee Winters, who appeared on Broadway in such shows as Lion King and Hamilton, Darius V. Daughtry, founder and artistic director of Art Prevails Project, a performing arts organization dedicated to expanding cultural conversation through theatrical performances, arts education and community engagement. The panel will be moderated by Neki Mohan, an adjunct professor at Barry University who served as a broadcast journalist at WPLG, for 16 years.

Grammy®-nominees for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Take the Stairs, Black Violin, first met and played together in the orchestra at the Dillard Center for the Arts, an arts magnet high school in Fort Lauderdale. Each year, they reach deep into urban communities with numerous performances for students and hands-on engagement with youth symphonies and community centers. Through programs such as Turnaround Arts, the duo connects with more than 100,000 students throughout the year, mostly at low-income, Title 1 schools and have adopted, Bethune Elementary in an ongoing mentorship program.

“We see this important dialogue as an opportunity to bridge the gap between Broward’s artistic institutions and the communities they serve,” said Black Violin, regarding this special event. “Using the arts and intentional dialogue, we hope to give a voice to those voices who are too often underrepresented.”

Presented live to a limited, physically distanced audience, Bridging the Gap will be live-streamed for free, to the general public on June 2nd, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. Zoom Registration is required at: BrowardCenter.org.

The Broward Center’s Arts for Action: Black Voices initiative is funded through the Community Foundation of Broward's Art of Community grant program, which aims to use the arts as a tool or catalyst to heighten awareness, deepen knowledge and mobilize action, on social justice issues. Support has been provided by the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Mary N. Porter Com-munity Impact Fund, Community Concerts Association of Fort Lauderdale Performing Arts Fund, A Fund for the Performing Arts, the Linda and Michael Carter Fund as well as, additional supporters of the initiative that include BBX Capital Foundation and JM Family Enterprises, Inc.

 The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 Southwest Fifth Avenue, in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit: BrowardCenter.org. Like us on Facebook at: Face book.com/BrowardCenter and Facebook.com/BrowardCenter Education. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at: @BrowardCenter. Subscribe to our channel at: Youtube.com/user/Broward Center.