I A.M. Arts Community Development and Artist Organizing Initiatives Archives
This offering is by invitation only
Launching the HUB! A place for on-going and frequent artist workshops, interviews, and talks that center the education, preservation, protection, and training in African indigenous knowledge and practice—facilitated by internationally recognized cultural practitioners and scholars.
This first offering was led by Trinidadian interdisciplinary artist, martial artist, cultural movement scholar, and Ms. Morris’ mentor, Jamie Philbert.
Attendees hailed from Trinidad & Tobago, W.I., Hawaii, California, and Minnesota.
The results of the work will soon be shared with the public through mediascapes in late summer 2023.
The next HUB offering is in February 2024.
Click on the button below to learn more!
This event is by invitation only
Root Restore Reimagine Women’s Retreat 2022
A retreat/residency program for mid-career women creatives to root, restore, and imagine our lives and creative practice as centered in ancient and indigenous wisdoms, at the intersections of science and wellness—shaping the change we are co-inspiring.
EMBRACING OUR ROOTS
Alanna Morris-Van Tassel
in conversation with Arleta Little & Ellena Schoop
After the uprisings for George Floyd and Daunte Wright, sharing knowledge inter-generationally is more important than ever. Join us for monthly conversations where young arts leaders will join our elders in conversation about their histories of significant milestones in Minnesota’s Black literary history
On Wednesday, Oct. 20, Alanna Morris-Van Tassel will join Arleta Little and Ellena Schoop in a conversation about the Givens Foundation for African American Literature and the collaborative retreat they founded which brought in nationally and internationally renowned poets and writers such as Amiri Baraka and Sonja Sanchez to mentor emerging Minnesota Black writers.
Embracing Our Roots is a partnership with More Than a Single Story, Black Table Arts, and In Black Ink
To watch the recording, click on photo or button below and enter password: k.y$y!7m
Breath and Boogie (virtual movement practices for BIPOC healers)
6 weeks, 6 virtual dance classes, hosted and facilitated by Alanna Morris-Van Tassel in January 2021 to support BIPOC healing justice practitioners
2 hour dance workshops were led by:
Alanna Morris-Van Tassel
ImagineJoy (Demetrius McClendon)
and
Yoni Light (Destiny Anderson)
Included a culminating talk by Jamie Philbert (Co- Director of the Bois Academy of Trinidad and Tobago).
Breath and Boogie is a movement practice that centers the divinity of the human expression and honours the movement traditions of African Diaspora. Classes include mantra, meditation, breath work, flowing and dynamic warm ups, contemporary phrase work that frees the body and spirit and end with guided stretches and affirmation. Queer-friendly. A safe space for all bodies, gender identities and experiences.
Free for members of the Mn Healing Justice Network through a grant, Artists Respond: Combating Social Isolation, a project of Springboard for the Arts.
$5 suggested donation for the general public.
To be invited to the next Breath and Boogie series please send an email to alanna@alannamvt.com or sign up for the newsletter through the button below
Moving with Joy: Shaping Change is a collective movement meditation practice that calls in Light while acknowledging the ancestral trauma and grief (as well as healing) that has brought us all to this moment. We center the politics of Joy, realizing that all are affected by white global domination and are receiving this call to co-inspire social change. We encourage you, no matter how you identify, to, in the words of Octavia Butler, “become a shaper of God. God is Change.”
This ritual and collective movement practice occurred on July 8, 2020 and was a collaboration of Don't You Feel It Too? (DYFIT) and Alanna Morris-Van Tassel Productions, sponsored by The PlaygroundNYC.
Organized and facilitated by Demetrius McClendon (also known as ImagineJoy/he/she/they) and Alanna Morris-Van Tassel (she/her/they/them), Dancers, Educators and Organizers in the Twin Cities.
Special thanks to Sheri Ledin who led us in a beautiful land acknowledgement!
Photos by Phillip Prospers
Interested in attending the next gathering?
Click on the link below to be notified about the next public practice
Juneteenth 2020
On Friday morning, over sunrise, a group of approximately 20 people gathered on a beach at the banks of the Missisippi River in a profound collective prayer and call to action. We were graciously led into procession by Djenane Saint Juste who welcomed us and led benediction for the Lwa and spirits of nature in the Vodoun tradition. We went to the River and poured out our souls in prayer. We took hands in circle and Sister Deneane Richburg shared about the history of Junteenth. This was followed by many offerings from those gathered. Words from the heart, poems and statements of solidarity were shared by many people gathered in a circle. We ate home cooked food and drank rum. A libation of soul and liquor poured upon the ground for nearly 6 hours along with the sweet smell of incense and sage burning. Finally, after our appetites had been satisfied and thirst quenched we celebrated in dance and fellowship—centering Black Joy.
I am full and grateful to All That Is for giving us passage on Friday. We stood in the gap for our people. We called their names. We honoured the ancestors.
I was also pleased to hear from healers, artists, elders and spiritual leaders who could not be with us physically that they rose up in their homes to meditate, pray, and light candles for us/with us.
This Juneteeth ceremony will be made an annual ritual, through sunrise, as a nod to our Emancipation Traditions of the African Diaspora.
Photo by Phillip Prospers
Click on the photo for a 15 min video of the first half of the Juneteenth 2020 ceremony
Annual Women’s Retreat/Residency program
CEW Retreat 2019 participants in an Adaptive Yoga class, led by Angela Fern
Creative, Empowered, Women’s Retreat 2019
AMVTP’s women’s retreat/residency programs are co-designed by the participants. Meaning, it takes the shape of those involved. The world has changed drastically since COVID-19 came on the scene. This includes our approach to living and being as well as how we create, fund and present our work. How can we continue to support each other? And what resources do we need now?
If you would like to learn more about AMVTP’s next women’s retreat/residency please click on the link below!
Femme Opportunity Gatherings
On January 30, 2020, a group of mostly femme Creatives of colour gathered to learn about local, national and international programs that support cultural and artistic study and spiritual growth in 2020 via presentations from alumni of the various programs. The goal of these types of gatherings is resource-sharing.
Where we share common goals, let’s help our Sisters out!
Programs included:
* New Waves! Festival (Port of Spain, Trinidad) July 29-August 1, 2020
*Urban Bush Women's Summer Leadership Institute (New York City) July 15-18, 2020
* LandMark Forum (Minnesota). Seasonal.
*Women’s Art Institute at Saint Catherine’s University (June 1-25, 2020)
*AMVTP's Creative Empowered Women's Retreat 2021 (Minnesota)
A copy of the presentation is available via Google doc by clicking on the link below
A Vigil for Our Times
On February 21, 2019 a gathering of 11 artists, healers and spiritual leaders were assembled at St Jane House to share in ritual, prayer, song, dance, inspirational talk, and food to bring ourselves to a better understanding and acceptance of seasons of transition and loss, both personally and collectively. In a nod to the “jouvay” ritual practiced by emancipated Blacks in the Caribbean, those gathered started the fellowship at midnight through the sunrise, in what was a transformative and cathartic experience for all involved. Many thanks to all who gathered and to Brian Mogren at St Jane House for his incredible hospitality and love! Monies were also raised on behalf of the Caribbean Disaster Relief Fund—MN to support disaster relief in the Bahamas due to the impact of Hurricane Dorian.
These gatherings are by invitation-only
