Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio (MAP 2015) has a new blog!
Marcus Shelby (lead researcher and artist) and Jackie Ramos (research collaborator and artist) will be using this platform to share experiences and knowledge gained through their exploration of the effects of the prison industrial complex, including the school-to-prison pipeline, the Black prison movement, incarcerated women, prison abolition, immigration, mass incarceration and public health, and families impacted by incarceration. This project uses the power of music and the arts to build with the community and raise awareness around mass incarceration, finding ways to combat this epidemic.
The blog is open to all voices interested in ending the prison industrial complex and will feature music, poetry, and artistic work related to the movement. Read “You See Me?” a poem from Jackie Ramos, here.
One of the unique aspects of Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio (and many other MAP projects!) is the number of events connected to the project. While the musical performance will premiere on September 27, there are many discussions and points of engagement where communities can connect to the project as it develops.
July and August events include:
- San Francisco Buddhist Center‘s discussion series Artists Reflect on Social Justice: Creative Responses to Suffering, with discussions led by Shelby, Naima Shalhoub, Joanna Haigood, and Diana Gameros
- The continuation of Red Poppy Art House‘s second discussion series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex.
- Notes From the Field: Doing Time in Education—The California Chapter, Anna Deavere Smith‘s one-woman show with music composed and performed by Shelby, and a project that has informed Shelby’s composition of Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio
See a full list of upcoming events here.
The blog will continue to be updated as the artists continue with their research and Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio continues to develop — stay tuned to read about their experiences, see featured poetry, music, and artistic works, access community resources and keep updated on project-related events.
