ENCORE FREE SCREENING: “A BREATH FOR GEORGE”

Creating Racial Justice Performance in a Time of Pandemic: New Dawn Theatre Company’s film A Breath for George
Screening presented in partnership with Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota at the 2020 Virtual CTAM Conference

We know the transformative power of theater when it comes to addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time. This summer, the fight for racial justice was re-ignited worldwide after the murder of George Floyd, amidst the context of a global pandemic that is disproportionately affecting BIPOC communities, and radically shifting both education and performance into new, distanced forms. In this context, New Dawn Theatre (NDT) Company created A Breath for George. The film was crafted from individually recorded performances of monologues, songs, poems, movement, and interviews by local black and POCI artists and scholars, and then woven together and projected onto the exterior of theater buildings across the Twin Cities. In this session, join NDT’s Artistic Director Austene Van and Perpich’s Stephanie Lein Walseth for an online screening of A Breath for George, followed by a virtual Q&A and dialogue session.

A Breath for George was created by New Dawn Theatre and Minnesota artists as a platform to: honor Mr. Floyd’s life; speak to this moment and moments past openly and honestly; and to share avenues which promote hope and positive changes for the future. A Breath for George gives voices to the ways Black citizens & residents historically have been negatively affected emotionally, physically and financially by systemic racism and nationwide police violence

“There is value in people knowing that they are not alone in the way that they are feeling right now. There is also value in speaking truth to people who have never heard our stories or ever been in position to hear our stories,” says New Dawn Artistic Director Austene Van.

WHERE: Virtual – The link to join this virtual workshop will be sent to participants the day before the workshop.

WHO: Participants: This session is centered on a theater performance piece (compiled through film), though the learning will apply across the performing arts, media arts, speech, and communications. It is open to all Minnesota K-12 and College/University Arts Educators and Directors.
Registered CTAM Conference participants are warmly invited to join us for this session.
Educators and Directors that are not registered for the conference may attend the session for free through Perpich, by special agreement with CTAM.

Presenter: Austene Van, Artistic Director of New Dawn Theatre Company
Facilitator: Stephanie Lein Walseth, Theater Education Specialist, Perpich Center for Arts Education
New Dawn Theatre Company’s A Breath for George

DETAILS: Registration for the workshop is limited to 200 people.
CEUs will be provided.
This workshop is hosted and paid for by the Perpich Center for Arts Education Professional Development and Resource Programs team, in conjunction with the CTAM 2020 Virtual Conference – (Re)Connecting.

Photo credit: Regina Marie Williams