Actor’s Performance Honors UN Decade for People of African Descent

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Katherine Greig

Artists Building Capacity as World Citizens hosted New Hampshire actor Kevin Wade Mitchell, with the help of Sandi Clark Kaddy, in a dramatic performance, “Black My Story, Not His’Story” December 8 at the Portsmouth Public Library in Portsmouth, NH. This was ABC-WC’s second annual program in honor of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent.

Kevin Wade Mitchell

The performance’s format of story and music explored the life of Captain Paul Cuffee, an African-American shipping merchant who spoke out against taxation without representation and established a racially integrated school for the children in his eighteenth-century New England community.

The program also explored the courage and determination displayed by those who sought to escape slavery, and featured a segment about the life and death of Emmett Louis Till.

During the question-and-answer session that followed the performance, artist and audience discussed themes of civil and human rights, inclusion and exclusion, spiritual strengths and the contributions that people of African descent have made and are making in the United States.
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First Choral Tales Filmed

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Katherine Greig
Dancers and Choreographer for "The Lord of the Cranes"

Choreographer and dancer Jingqiu Guan (front left), with dancers Mizuki Sako, Kelsey Manes, Kristianne Salcines and Kyra Sakamoto. They performed “Lord of the Cranes,” based on a folk tale from China.

Artists Building Capacity as World Citizens are delighted with the achievement of a significant milestone in the Choral Tales Project, the filming of the first three tales in the project.

Ludwig Tuman, the project’s founder and artistic director, wrote,
“We are excited to announce that on April 29, years of preparation bore fruit in a single, wonderful day when the first Choral Tales works were successfully filmed. It was a joy and privilege to engage and work with so many wonderful people, to see so much talent and experience all in one place! Musicians, choreographers, dancers, audio and film teams – some 60 artists in all – traveled from Long Beach and Los Angeles to Oxnard College to film the first Choral Tales pieces.

Chamber Choir of California State University, Long Beach, and Musicians

Dr. Jonathan Talberg (2nd row of choir, left) led the Chamber Choir of California State University, Long Beach, accompanied by percussionists Arthur Lin, Petra Elek and Bailey O’Donnell on African instruments.

Choral director, Dr. Jonathan Talberg, led the renowned Chamber Choir of California State University, Long Beach. The music was composed by Ludwig, based on text by collaborating poet and author, Shirin Sabri. Choreography was by Sherene Melania (previously filmed), Anindo Marshall, and Jingqui Guan. The pieces performed and filmed were “The Happy Man’s Shirt,” “The Cat’s Protector,” and “Lord of the Cranes” – based on folk tales from Scotland/UK, Tanzania, and China.”
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