Artistic Aims
Revolution is essentially a work of the human heart and spirit. As political activist Dhoruba Bin-Wahad explains, “we need to address the heart”. People get involved in struggles because of what is in their hearts. We cannot change our conditions as a people, as a movement, until we first change the condition of our hearts. The path of the artist is in essence a spiritual path which is initiated and practiced through creativity. I believe that as both artists and human beings, a sense of spirituality is essential to the process of creation. Once we heal ourselves and reach our full creative potential, we can tap into the life-force energy of Love to begin to change the world. Martin Luther King himself explains that his basic philosophical and theological orientation was completely centered around the idea of love. Love is God in manifestation. It is the strongest magnetic force in the universe and the one quality which unites us all.
I believe that art should educate, inform, organize, influence and incite to action. The artist should not only be a creative being, but a teacher of morality and a political advisor. As Artists, we must give of ourselves unselfishly to become the voice of conscience in society. All art reflects the value system from which it comes. This work is directly related to the historical, economic, educational, and social development of marginalized and disenfranchised communities.
In his essay, “The Revolutionary Theatre” Amiri Baraka explains that art should move victims to look at the strength in their own minds and bodies. Transformational Activism is the idea that we can tap into the power of mass collaboration and collective creativity to transform people into more loving, peaceful, and compassionate human beings. It is based on the idea that people need to transform on the inside as well as on the outside in order to create any meaningful change in the world. I have always believed in the power of art to transform lives and mobilize communities. Once we recognize and embrace our individual creative potential, we can then collectively explore how the Arts can be used as a vehicle for social change.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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