Hi-ARTS Welcomes 2024-25 Artists in Residence
From left: Andrea Ambam (Lexi Webster Photography); Jay Saint Flono (courtesy); Alle Mims (courtesy); Reynaldo Piniella (courtesy); Evelyn Tejeda (courtesy); Yang Sun (courtesy); Jeffrey Rashad (courtesy)
Hi-ARTS is excited to introduce their 2024-25 Artist Residency Cohort: This year the Harlem-based non-profit welcomes a cohort of seven artists into their CRITICAL BREAKS, SKY LAB and Artist Intensive Residency Programs. Joining Hi-ARTS as CRITICAL BREAKS residents are Andrea Ambam, Jay Saint Flono, Alle Mims, Reynaldo Piniella, and Evelyn Tejeda. CRITICAL BREAKS supports works at a pivotal point in the development of their work. SKY LAB supports artists who center community at the root of their creative development. This fall, Hi-ARTS welcomes SKY LAB Artist Yang Sun & Poets. Through their Artist Intensive, Hi-ARTS will support Jeffrey Rashad.
Hi-ARTS Program Manager Brandi Webb states, "I am deeply honored to support this remarkable cohort of artists, each of whom brings a unique and powerful voice to the table. Since joining Hi-ARTS in March, it has been exciting to work with artists who push boundaries and use their craft to challenge perspectives. Providing them with the resources and space to develop their work is truly rewarding, and I’m eager to witness the creative transformations that will take place during their time with us."
Placing an emphasis on process rather than production, all three programs support artists in the development of new work, and provide artists with time, mentorship, physical space, and financial support. Upon completion of their residency, artists share their work with audiences and communities through a WORK IN PROCESS such as a staged reading, an open rehearsal, and/or a visual exhibition.
Kansas City born, with familial roots from Cameroon, politically-engaged performance artist and writer Andrea Ambam, is the director of Programming at Level Forward where and the Anthem Award-winning podcast More To Talk About. During her time in residence, Andrea will continue the development of TWELVE ANGRY BLACK WOMEN a Black feminist re-interpretation of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men wherein the United States of America, stamped as a “backsliding democracy” is on trial and its fate lies in the hands of an all Black, all femme jury.
Brooklyn-based Jay Saint Flono is a classical singer and librettist known for their stunning soprano voice. Jay will concentrate on Spirit in the Vine: A Sankopera. Taking place in the mythic realm of Zaradús, Spirit on the Vine draws direct inspiration from the African-American folktale High John and Devil’s Daughter while expanding its lore.
New York City based cultural archeologist and political satirist Alle Mims writes about Black, Queer, and radical history. A Soviet Film on Negro Life in America is a satirical history play that uses masks and puppets to tell the unbelievable true story of the Soviet Film that almost changed the world.
Brooklyn-born actor, writer, activist and educator Reynaldo Piniella performed in both Thoughts of a Colored Man and Trouble in Mind in 2021 and his co-created bilingual Spanish-English Hamlet has been developed at the Public Theater, Folger Theatre, the Classical Theatre of Harlem, and the Acting Company. At Hi-ARTS Reynaldo will continue the development of Afroborinqueño, a solo theater piece about Arturo Schomburg, the man who mentored Langston Hughes, had “beef” with the founder of the NAACP, and is credited with inventing the term “Afro-Latino.”
Dominican Republic-born and Dominicana’s Got Talent Simifinalist Evelyn Tejeda is Founding Member of the Contemporary Dance National Company of the Dominican Republic, directed by Marianela Boan. In residence, Evelyn utilizes the common chair as an extension of the body in the development of Temporary Flesh. While employing movement as an exploration of existence and identity, Evelyn provokes the personal while posing universal questions of origin.
Born in China, and educated in the United States, SKY LAB Artist Yang Sun is an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and director, working in the intersection of movement, color, and poetry. In residence she will debut her collective Yang Sun & Poets during which will bring together artists across disciplines in the development of The Stranger. Sitting at the intersection of dance and installation, The Stranger spans generations of immigrants and resident aliens in the United States.
Artist Intensives provide artists several weeks of access to rehearsal space belonging to focused mentorship and/or dramaturgical support as needed. Artist Intensive resident Jeffrey Rashad is an actor, writer, and poet from Milwaukee, WI and is a recent MFA graduate of Classical Acting from The Old Globe and the University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Acting Program. Portrayed by a single actor, Jeffrey's The District follows three intergenerational characters through their experience of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
About Hi-ARTS
Founded as the Hip Hop Theater Festival, and rebranded in 2011 as Hi-ARTS, the Harlem-based organization has a rich history of supporting the work of hip-hop Black theater artists such as Chadwick Boseman, Craig ‘MuMs’ Grant, and Eisa Davis. Today Hi-ARTS centers its support on Black, Indigenous, and Artists of Color through developmental residencies, educational programming, and civic engagement. Hi-ARTS is committed to creating a space for Artists, Audiences and Arts Administrators of the Global Majority to engage in creative process, experimentation, and development through developmental artist residencies, multidisciplinary programming, civic engagement and educational opportunities.
Hi-ARTS nurtures artists of the Global Majority through developmental residencies, civic engagement, and multidisciplinary creative and educational programming that place an emphasis on process and development.
Hi-ARTS supports multidisciplinary Artists of the Global Majority who are at a pivotal moment in their career and/or creative practice through developmental artist residencies. Hi-ARTS provides artists and communities with educational opportunities in safe, professional, and stimulating environments and offers multidisciplinary programming that invites audiences, collaborators and artists to engage with art and education that uplifts the stories and perspectives of the BIPOC experience. While placing an emphasis on process in all that we do, Hi-ARTS is committed to creating an environment where creative experimentation and process is valued and celebrated.
Hi-ARTS is supported in part by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Council Member Diana Ayala and the City Council. Organizational support is provided by the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Scherman Foundation, and David Rockefeller Fund. Additional support comes from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Dance/NYC, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Lucille Lortel Foundation and a discretionary grant made by a staff member of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
Learn more about Hi-ARTS
hi-artsnyc.org • @hiartsnyc
