RIBS Report: Fiscal Year Oct 2016-Sept 30, 2017/ submitted by Valerie Tutson, ED
Programs:
September:
Celebrated the opening of SOUTHLIGHT Pavilion, an outdoor performance space on the grounds of the Southside Cultural Center (home of our office). Part of an ArtPlace America Community PlaceMaking Grant: funding in partnership with RIBS, Rhode Island Latino Arts, Southside Cultural Center, the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism to bring back the cultural life in this Providence neighborhood.
October
Co-Hosted Ysaye Maria Barnwell for a day of Singing in the African American Tradition: A Tool for Social Change
Co-Hosted workshops with Trinity Rep Company to help community create 1 minute plays around the theme of Police/Brutality
November
Co-hosted member program: Madam’s Backyard Bash: an afternoon of jazz, poetry and stories, created by Raffini Productions
December
Co-Hosted: Cultural Extravaganza: A day of performances, art making for children and vendors; part of the Sowing Place initiative to bring together communities through health, wellness, culture and economic development
January 2017
Presented the 19th Annual FUNDA FEST: A Celebration of Black Storytelling
The week long celebration included 4 public performances across the State, and 41 school/library/community center programs; featured RIBS tellers and invited guests: Teju Ologboni, Oba William King, Leeny Del Seamonds (year of intentional relationship building with our Latino brothers and sisters; working with RILA)
New Initiatives:
~Gumbo Story Gatherings became CommunityFlavorsRI: hosted 3 community dinners for the “neighborhood” People came, heard music/drumming, shared a catered meal, sat at tables with “strangers,” shared stories together around “prompts” and left feeling connected. (average 80 per meal)
These were funded through the Community Innovation Lab.
~ RIBS Exec. Dir and RILA Exec. Dir co-presented at Sharing the Fire Storytelling Conference in Plymouth MA in March on intercultural/bilingual storytelling programming efforts at the Southside Cultural Center of RI in Providence
~RIBS hosted ONE TABLE in JUNE: 300 people sat at one long table in the Downtown Plaza, ate and shared stories as a kick off to the PVD Festival
~Storytelling at the Juneteenth Joy Jam /Drum Circle
~RIBS, RILA and the Providence Improv Guild (PIG) received a grant to do an intensive improv to performance workhop with the goals/objectives for 3 of the SCCRI partner tenants to work together to get to know one another; for RIBS and RILA artists to learn some improv techniques; to perform together to a diverse audience (sponsored by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts)
~Fiscal sponsor for two member projects: Violet’s Village: A Black History and Cultural Arts Program for Providence Youth and Beauty in the Backstreets: a program to develop young adults in digital/musical storytelling for PVD Festival Performance in June.
CURRENT Projects Underway:
~RIBS working with LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation) to pilot a program: Intergenerational Storytelling at the Central Falls/Hope Artiste Farmers’ Market: goals/objectives: alleviate elder isolation; connect teens with elders; share stories, learn about healthy foods and support local farmers’ market: teams will share stories and create/make recipes and culminate with the sharing of a meal; (sponsored by TUFTS Medical Center) 3 sessions: Nov/Dec; April/May July/Aug
~ Storytelling/drama workshops started with youth at the John Hope Settlement House after school program with the goal to have youth perform a story at the Holiday Market and Cultural Extravaganza in Dec 2017 and FUNDA 2018
~RIBS working with Sowing Place for the Holiday Market and Cultural Extravaganza (Sowing Place is an initiative funded by the Kresge/FreshLo program; 2 years, $200,000 among 3 partners; $20,000 earmarked for artists at market place over the grant period).
SAVE THE DATE: 20th Annual FUNDA FEST: A Celebration of Black Storytelling
January 13-20, 2018. For info:
Number of Programs: 16 (some have multiple meetings; FUNDA counted as 1 program here; details above)
Number of Paid Artists: 30
Number of Volunteers: 35
Number of People Served: 6000
Grants
Rhode Island State Council for the Arts
*ArtPlace America
Community Innovation Lab: Providence Dept of Art, Culture and Tourism through the Kresge Foundation
*LISC
Providence Shelter for Colored Children
Newport County Fund
Dexter Donation
Legislative Grant RI General Assembly
(New England Foundation of the Arts for 2018)
Area Served: State of Rhode Island
Ages: Pre K- Seniors