OMAI friends and fans,

On Wisconsin, the UW-Madison alumni magazine, just came out with a brilliant article on First Wave at UW and in the Madison schools. Take a moment to read the piece and see video here:On Wisconsin. In other news, next week is one our favorite programs, Passing the Mic: check the schedule below and get to the shows early because they will pack out. Also, see when the First Wave is coming to a town near you, and for our friends down in Milwaukee, check out all the events going on in the 414.

In this issue…

1. Passing the Mic: October 11-13

2. First Wave Hits the Road

3. Milwaukee Program Starts 2nd Year

1. Passing the Mic: October 11-13

Spoken word did not emerge from thin air. It descended from a long legacy of song, theater, poetry, and storytelling from many cultural traditions. And like all art, it continues to evolve. Passing the Mic is Madisons opportunity to explore the past, present, and future of the spoken word. And this year, we have some guests who have come from very far to share their stories. From the griot to the MC, from Cuba to Chicago, from Bobi Cespedes to Willie Perdomo, you do not want to miss this.

PASSING THE MIC
3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL SPOKEN WORD SERIES

October 11-13, 2007
All events are 100% FREE and open to the whole community
For full schedule and artist bios, visit http://omai.wisc.edu

Thursday, October 11

SPOKEN WORD & HIP-HOP EDUCATION IN THE ACADEMY:
POTENTIAL FOR A NEW PEDAGOGY
7:00 PM @ the Wisconsin Historical Society Theater
Featuring HBO Def Poets Willie Perdomo (NYC) and Roger Bonair-Agard (NYC),Prof. Deborah Jenson (Center for Humanities), Prof. Tracie Curtis (Afro-American Studies), and Sofia Snow (First Wave).
Moderated by Def Poet Kevin Coval (Chicago).

Friday, October 12

TRINIDAD MEETS EL BARRIO:
NUYORICAN POETS BRING THE NOISE
7:00 PM @ the Wisconsin Historical Society Theater
Featuring spoken word legends Roger Bonair-Agard & Willie Perdomo

JUST BUST!
SPOKEN WORD & HIP HOP OPEN MIC
9:00 PM @ the Memorial Union Main Lounge

Hosted by First Wave & DJ Pain1
Featuring the Midwest Youth Slam All-Stars

Saturday, October 13

FIRST WAVE HIP-HOP THEATER PREMIERE

Featuring UW-Madison′s own First Wave ensemble in their first full-length performance

TALKING GODS & LYRICAL LEGACIES:
ALL-STAR SHOWCASE OF THE DIASPORA
8:00 PM @ Memorial Union Theater
Featuring Alhaji Papa Susso (West African griot), Bobi Cespedes (Afro-Cuban diva), First Wave Hip-Hop Theater Ensemble, & the Midwest Youth Slam All Stars (Chicago/Milwaukee/Twin Cities/Madison/Cleveland/Indianapolis)

Presented by the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI) Cosponsored by the Wisconsin Book Festival, Center for Humanities,MultiCultural Student Coalition, WUD Student Performance, Arts Night Out, & WORT 89.9 F

2. First Wave Hits the Road

After their Passing the Mic showcase, the First Wave Hip-Hop Theater Ensemble is taking their show on the road. In October and November, the collective will perform at the both the east and west coast components of the National Conference on Student Leadership. In addition, individual First Wave student artists will join program director Josh Healey for a series of presentations and workshops around the Midwest. These visits will include performances and encourage high school students to continue their academic and artistic development so that they can join the First Wave in 2008 or beyond.

FIRST WAVE NATIONAL PERFORMANCES
October 20: Anaheim, CA
November 16: Orlando, FL
http://www.ncslcollege.com/ncsl/fall.html

FIRST WAVE OUTREACH TRIPS
October 17-19: Milwaukee
October 25-27: San Francisco Bay Area
October 29-31: Chicago
November 14-16: Twin Cities

3. Milwaukee Program Starts 2nd Year
Our sister Milwaukee program, the Still Waters Collective: Teen Voices, recently celebrated their first anniversary! Under the leadership of Dasha Kelly, SWC Teen Voices is building a community of young writers in the schools, libraries, and community centers of Milwaukee. Dont miss their next spoken word show on October 19. For our Madison readers, you can check out the Milwaukee youth slam team at Passing the Mic on October 11-13, and when Dasha Kelly features at Just Bust! on November 2. OMAI is committed to empowering the youth voice across the state: our First Wave youth poets and teaching artists have visited Green Bay twice over the past year, and we are leading sessions at the Youth as Partners in Civic Leadership conference this month in Green Lake. On Wisconsin!

Hosted by Dasha Kelly
7:00 pm : Milwaukee Public Library, Centennial Hall (733 N. 8th St) $2 youth, $5 adults
http://stillwaterscollective.com/teens

 

 

 

 

Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI)
357 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Dr
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 890-1006

www.omai.wisc.edu

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