Show up. Stand up. Listen.
Show up Stand Up Listen is an Anti-Racist, Art-as-Activism project.
Chapter 1: Deep Breath,
featuring Artist/Poet/Scholar/Dancer/Researcher Dr. Nia Nunn is our first piece.
We hope you find it illuminating.
Chapter 1:
Deep Breath
One summer, during an uprising, and a global pandemic, a group of people gathered at the Cherry Arts space in Ithaca, New York to rally around Dr. Nia Nunn's poem, Deep Breath.
Local activists, dancers and volunteers came to dance out our anger and to breathe into what hurts.
…and after they danced to Dr. Nunn’s poem, backed by the special music composed by Jon Keefner, we sat with each performer for an interview.
Below, you’ll find some of the most poignant of those moments
Chapter One
Ithaca Project:
Ithaca Project:
Deep Breath
Centered around an eight minute poem in three parts, by Dr. Nia Nunn entitled Deep Breath, Chapter 1 of Stand Up, Show Up, Listen was filmed in Ithaca NY in July 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic.
Volunteers gathered, spaces were donated, and Dancers came from several communities to show up, listen and dance to the activating and healing words of Dr. Nia Nunn.
Meet Our Amazing Team
Jonathan Keefner
Composer
Daraisi Marte
Youth Advocate, Human Rights Activist, Hip-Hop Dance and Culture Anthropologist
Art is a part of every culture so everyone can resonate with it. Everyone wants to consume it or take part in it. If done well you will definitely grab attention. Historically performance art has been known to help society as a whole via self-knowledge and understanding. Performance arts teaches society about itself. It points out the attitude and mindset of our current society and can be used to educate people about their conditions and bring about social and political change. Racism is embedded in the fibers of the fabric that built this nation. Conversations about race are sometimes hard to have but if a person can identify themselves in a character on stage, be it the oppressor or the oppressed, it will provoke thought, challenge their world view and rile them up to the point of discussion and reflection. If racism is not talked about it will not change and it can’t be talked about openly and honestly without the creation of safe spaces. Your art is powerful! Use it wisely.
Rachel McIntosh
Filmmaker/Witness
Rachel believes if we raise our collective awareness around intimidating issues, like injustice and systemic racism, we can unite and rise up together for a humanity-led revolution
Mickie Quinn
Producer/Dancer
Mickie lives in a Venn diagram of overlapping circles of art, production, and education. She uses her tools to create inclusive productions and to uplift artists and audiences alike.
Deja Ciaschi
Dancer/Choreographer
Regina DeMauro
Dancer/Youth Librarian
Kevin Olmstead
Dancer/Chef
Erin Griffeth
Dancer/Choreographer/Nurse
Ian Cummings
Drummer/Percussionist
Rachel Ferro
Filmmaker/Astrologer
Shannon Nash
Activist/Badass/Artist
Ari Kissiloff
Professor, Ithaca College
Heather Sandford
Musician/Performer
Kate Griffin
Audio Engineer/Musician
Melissa Crumrine
Illustrator/Artist
Jenny Zhang
Student, Cornell University
Charlie Hamilton
Crew
Lisa White
Editor
She is an award winning commercial and non-fiction editor based in NYC. Her work includes the docuseries “Released” on the OWN network and “Marvel’s Hero Project” on Disney+, as well as many TV commercial and promo projects.
To hire her for your next project please email lisacharlene@gmail.com
Terrence Moline
Composer
Terrence Moline, founder of aagd.co brought his magic to the project with fonts created by black font designers and purchased for this project. The colors were chosen by Terrence and Nia, and honored each part of the poem with a unifying “Revolutionary Yellow”
Dom Lounds
Editorial Assistant
Links to Anti-Racism Resources
Mashable: How to be anti-racist
VOX: What it means to be anti-racist
The Body Is Not An Apology: 7 ways non black people of color perpetuate anti-Blackness
Psychology Today: Anti-racist action and becoming part of the solution
Centennial: Twitter explains how To support black lives matter as a non-Black person
American Public Health Association: Addressing Law Enforcement Violence as a Public Health Issue
The Atlantic: Ta-Nehisi Coates “The Case for Reparations”
VOX: What it means to be anti-racist
The Body Is Not An Apology: 7 ways non black people of color perpetuate anti-Blackness
Psychology Today: Anti-racist action and becoming part of the solution
Centennial: Twitter explains how To support black lives matter as a non-Black person
American Public Health Association: Addressing Law Enforcement Violence as a Public Health Issue
The Atlantic: Ta-Nehisi Coates “The Case for Reparations”
Contact us
Are you interested in supporting this project or connecting to a person involved in this project? or perhaps interested in starting a project of your own?
Reach out! We'd love to hear from you.