Brooklyn Arts Council, New York, NY Videos

Thank you for THRIVING with us! 💫 What a day it was meeting, creating, learning, and networking with you at Thrive Fest 2024, presented with BRIC Arts Media! 📸 Want to see photos from the event? https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBiYUU We encourage you to share on social with #BACthrivefest and #thrivefest2024. Be sure to follow and tag us and credit the event’s amazing photographer, Fernando Rodriguez of Nobody Studio. We’d like to extend big thanks and heartfelt gratitude to our: ⭐️ Event Sponsors: Open Society Foundations, Bloomberg Philanthropies and New York University ⭐️ Speakers: Cey Adams; Toni Blackman; Carla Gannis; Desiree Gordon; Ebony Gustave; Sam Israel; Deron Johnston; Eli Kuslansky; Toya Lillard; L Marmon; Cliff Matias; Ari Melanciano; Erika Pettersen; Donna Maria Augustine Quinn; Nathaniel Mary Quinn; Sruti Suryanarayanan; and Ayesha Williams ⭐️ Coaches: Kevin Benoit; Atreya Mathur; Taeesha Muhammad; Randy Peralta; Selomé Samuel; and Ketriana Yvonne ⭐️ Sound Bath Artists & Sound Engineer: Gina D’ Soto; Abou Lion Diarra, Connor Evans; Jill Peacock; and Mario Castro of Capture Acid ⭐️ Resource Lounge Organizations: Artistic Freedom Initiative; Capture Acid; Center for Art Law; Entertainment Community Fund; Materials for the Arts; Men At Work Healing; and Sound Mind Live ⭐️Opening Ceremony Performers: Redhawk Native American Arts Council ⭐️Food Vendor: F1rstnycc ⭐️Photographer: Fernando Rodriguez, Nobody Studio ⭐️Videographer: Charles Reynoso ⭐️Brooklyn Innovation Portal Supporter: The New York Community Trust ⭐️Additional BAC Supporters: Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of New York

Thrive Fest 2024 - Sound Bath Artists
A holistic approach to thriving ⭐️ Join us at Thrive Fest 2024, presented with BRIC Arts Media! 🗓️ Date: March 23, 2024 🕛 Event Time: 12-7:30pm 📍Location: BRIC Arts Media, 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 🔗 RSVP: http://thrive-fest-2024.eventbrite.com 💲: Free! Thrive Fest is a collective movement towards crafting abundant futures for Brooklyn's creatives, ensuring their art and well-being flourish side by side. This year, don’t miss our wellness installation, Community Sound Bath & Cyphers, made possible by the support of the Open Society Foundations. Step into the TV Studio and unleash your creativity in this one-of-a-kind activation. You'll have the opportunity to make and record music, improvise, and connect with like-minded artists. Whether you're a seasoned musician or just starting out, this interactive installation promises to ignite your passion for music. Featured artists include Gina D’ Soto, Abou Lion Diarra, Connor Evans, and Jill Peacock. Sound production and engineering by Mario Castro of Capture Acid. Additional event support is provided by New York University and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Thrive Fest 2024 Coaches
Did someone say FREE grant writing, finance, and legal coaching?? 👀💰😲 Join us at Thrive Fest 2024 presented with BRIC! 🗓️ Date: March 23, 2024 🕛 Event Time: 12-7:30pm 📍Location: BRIC Arts Media, 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 🔗 RSVP: http://thrive-fest-2024.eventbrite.com 💲: Free! One-on-One Coaches: 🎯 Kevin Benoit, Founder of Parlé Endeavors (Grantwriting) 🎯 June Lei, Public Programs Assistant at Brooklyn Museum (Legal - Labor Rights) 🎯 Atreya Mathur, Director of Legal Research at Center for Art Law (Legal) 🎯 Randy Peralta, Housing Specialist at Entertainment Community Fund (Housing) 🎯 Selome Samuel, Money Coach at Net Positive Coaching (Personal Finance) 🎯 Daniela Velez, Fundraising & Development Consultant (Crowdfunding) 🎯 Ketriana Yvonne, CEO of One Woman League (Personal Finance) Group Coaches: 🎯 Atreya Mathur, Director of Legal Research at Center for Art Law (Legal) 🎯 Taeesha Muhammad, AIE Advocacy & Outreach Coordinator at Brooklyn Arts Council (Monetizing Teaching Artist Practice - Homeschooling) 🎯 June Lei, Public Programs Assistant at Brooklyn Museum (Legal - Labor & Unions) 🎯 Kevin Benoit, Founder of Parlé Endeavors (Grantwriting) • • • Thrive Fest 2024 “Community Sound Bath & Cyphers” is made possible by the support of the Open Society Foundations. Additional event support is provided by New York University and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Thrive Fesst 2024 Presenters
Trying to sustain your creative career? 💭💰 Don’t miss out on Thrive Fest 2024 (it’s free)! Learn More & RSVP: bit.ly/thrive-fest-2024 This year’s Thrive Talks and Keynote Ignition Talk will cover crucial topics for professional success including: 🎤 Keynote: "Cey Adams: Hip-Hop's Role in Shaping Culture and Driving the Creative Economy" 🎤 Thrive Talk 1: "/Blend—The Promise and Perils of AI in the Arts" with Carla Gannis, Sam Israel, Eli Kuslansky, and Ari Melenciano 🎤 Thrive Talk 2: “On the Solidarity Economy” with Ebony Gustave 🎤 Thrive Talk 3: “Toward Abundance! Community-Centric Fundraising and the Solidarity Economy” with Erika Pettersen and Sruti Suryanarayanan 🎤 Thrive Talk 4: “Thriving Against the Odds: Strategies for Equity and Impact from Brooklyn's Community-Centric Cultural Leaders” with Raymond Codrington, Toya Lillard, L Marmon, and Ayesha Williams 🎤 Thrive Talk 5: “The Business of Art” with Rasu Jilani, Donna Augustin-Quinn, and Nathaniel Mary Quinn BAC’s Thrive Fest 2024, presented with BRIC Arts Media, is taking place on March 23 from 12pm - 7:30pm at BRIC Arts Media, 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Thrive Fest 2024 is a FREE event.

Jeezy, Flex Dance Program
Introducing BAC Grantee, Flex Dance Program! 🤎🖤 Jeezy, one of FDP’s head dance instructors, shared with us a little insight into the power of Flex. Flex Dance Program (FDP) is an arts education nonprofit that believes in the power of dance and music to bring about positive transformation for youth in difficult circumstances. FDP seeks to transform physical energy into positive non-verbal self-expression that offers an alternative to conflict. Flex (Flexn) is a unique form of dance that originated on the streets of Brooklyn, New York in the 1990s. FDP’s “FlexIN” and “FlexOUT” programs received funding through BAC’s Local Arts Support and Creative Equations Fund. FlexIN is an on-site program for youth in secure detention centers, foster care, and other facilities in New York. FlexOUT provides lessons to youth online and in community centers locally and across the globe. Learn more at flexdanceprogram.org/ Pictured: Jeezy, Head Dance Instructor with FDP. FPD is a 2023 BAC Grantee. Photo via FDP Instagram.

Meet Our Staff! ⭐️ #bacvoices: Marie Szalkiewicz (she/her), BAC Communications Manager 🪄 Why do you work for BAC? “There are so many reasons! Having grown up in NYC, with both parents hailing from Brooklyn, my roots are deeply embedded in this vibrant borough. I've also been a visual artist from a very young age and have witnessed, time and time again, the power of the arts to inspire, bring people together, and shape communities. Working for BAC has allowed me to immerse myself in the creative world I love so much, support other artists, and play a part in impacting the creative future of a place I will always call home. 🪄 What Brooklyn neighborhood(s) do you feel most connected to and why? “Bushwick is the neighborhood I feel most connected to. I love everything about it—the food, the art, the nightlife, the weirdness, the list goes on. Spending time there has also made me cross paths with the most inspiring, driven, supportive, creative, out-of-the-box, people; many of whom now feel more like family than friends.”

Meet Our Staff! ⭐️ #bacvoices: Melissa Caballero (she/her), BAC Operations & Executive Coordinator 🪄 Why do you work for BAC? “I recently came across this quote that perfectly captures my why: ‘The most radical act in a sick society is to heal yourself then gently help others heal too.’ - I believe the arts are the catalyst for this transformational healing and see Brooklyn Arts Council as being a creative conduit and connective tissue of this healing throughout Brooklyn and beyond; supporting this work is exactly where I want to be, where I know I am meant to be, and why I feel so lucky to be part of the incredible BAC team!” 🪄 What Brooklyn neighborhood(s) do you feel most connected to and why? “Fort Greene and Clinton Hill have been my home for the past 10 years, and while there have been a few short moments of living elsewhere, I can confidently say there is no other place that has felt like home quite like Brooklyn. My father grew up in Sheepshead Bay after immigrating from Cuba and trips to Brooklyn visiting family from my childhood home just outside of the city are potent memories of my upbringing. Moreover, my parents met and had their first date in Downtown Brooklyn (Junior’s!) and Bensonhurst was their first home together; where I lived for the first 6-months of my life. All that to say, for me, there is truly no other home than Brooklyn!”

🗣️ #BACVoices: Nic Adams “In many ways, the 2023 season of The Exponential Festival was much more complicated than anything we did over the pandemic. The consistency of BAC's support was a big reason why we were able to pull off our full return to in-person winter performances. What's more, as grantees for the past five years, we were able to encourage Exponential artists to apply to BAC for their own projects and give some counsel on how to build their applications.” — Nic Adams, Producing Director, The Exponential Festival, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Your generosity to BAC helps support artistic endeavors like The Exponential Festival, a 501c3 January performance festival for Brooklyn venues and NYC-based emerging artists working in experimental performance. Exponential is driven by inclusiveness and a diversity of artists, forms, and ideas coupled with utopian resource-sharing, mentoring and the championing of risky, rigorous work in eclectic fields. 🩵 Show your support for BAC! Visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Images: 1. “The Complaint Society” by Barnett Cohen featuring Briana Archer, Deja Bowen, Lena Engelstein, and Rachel Rivera. Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk at The Brick. 2. “Cryptochrome” by Evan Silver aka Tiresias featuring Mizuho Kappa. Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk at We Are Here. 3. “On Set with Theda Bara” by Joey Merio featuring David Greenspan. Photo by David Rauch at The Brick. 4. “Circus Trick” by Addie Ulrey featuring Kristin Sgarro. Photo by David Rauch at Brick Aux.

🗣️ #BACVoices: Megumi Saruhashi "Brooklyn Arts Council’s grants have been quintessential for my growth as an artist. As a composer, it’s my greatest joy to hear my new pieces coming live with musicians in the presence of live audiences in performance settings, like birthing a child and finally getting to see the child’s face. And yet the reality is that it’s not easy to try new music in real settings for so many reasons. My music has grown with BAC along with Brooklyn communities who are always welcoming and generous to new music. Without BAC grants, my original music would never be heard live in Brooklyn and I would have never made meaningful connections with the Brooklyn community members. [BAC] saved me when I had nothing, and I was able to build a foundation from zero to continue as a composer and band leader. [BAC is] like a surrogate mother of my music. I cannot be more grateful for the chances I was given by BAC."- Megumi Saruhashi, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Your generosity to BAC helps support artists like Megumi Saruhashi, a Brooklyn-based, Japanese-American violinist and composer. This year, she presented “Megumi & Friends,” a cross-cultural musical collaboration with Arab artists, instruments, and traditions with concerts in Bay Ridge, East New York, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. 🩵 Show your support for BAC! Visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Project Collaborators: Adam Good, oud; Brian Prunka, oud; Kuba Cichocki, piano; Moto Fukushima, bass; Nezih Antakli, percussion; Keita Ogawa, percussion. Images: 1. Megumi Saruhashi. Photo by Matt/SnapKyoto, 2020. 2 & 3. “Megumi & Friends” performance. Photos by Fumiyo Narita, 2023.

🗣️ #BACVoices: Xinan Ran “Receiving my first project grant and independently undertaking such an ambitious endeavor was a significant step for me as an independent artist. This project significantly contributed to my community-oriented goals while the outcomes aligned impressively with my original vision. The support and validation from the [Brooklyn Arts Fund] grant were instrumental in allowing me to present my workshop concepts and collaborate with prominent neighborhood organizations.” – Xinan Ran, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee Your contributions to BAC support interdisciplinary artists like Xinan Ran whose recent project “Tree Chuang” brought Sunset Park and Bay Ridge residents together to create textile sculptures that wove multifaceted sensorial experiences throughout Brooklyn’s urban space. Ran’s outdoor workshops and community events encouraged sharing and learning across generations and cultural backgrounds. 🩵 Show your support for BAC! Visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Image: “Tree Chuang” textile workshops by Xinan Ran, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photos by Xinan Ran & Maria Jose Estevez.

🗣️ #BACVoices: Yasmin Mistry | Foster Care Film “Our goals with the creation of this latest film, “Absence/Presence” were as follows: (1) to support and elevate the work of both Brooklyn-based emerging artists and foster care alumni who have served on our films as directors, producers, editors, colorists, production assistants, animators, and more; (2) to create awareness about foster care at a larger scale, giving Brooklyn-based foster care alumni a larger platform through which to be heard; and (3) to engage viewers in tangible change by making supplemental educational content and calls to action available on our website. Thanks to Brooklyn Arts Council’s Local Arts Support and Brooklyn Arts Fund grants, we were able to tackle and achieve each of these goals…We were also able to create captions and audio descriptions for the film, making it accessible to both hearing and vision-impaired audiences. Additionally, we created a study guide for the film, and have made it publicly available on our website for free.”– Yasmin Mistry, Founder, Foster Care Film & Community Engagement Project (FCFCEP) Your generosity to BAC directly supports documentary filmmakers like Yasmin who are sharing impeccable stories of perseverance and survival. Her recent film “Absence/Presence” celebrates foster youth, showing how school, extended family, and the kindness of strangers can help a child find their path in life. 🩵 Show your support of BAC! Visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Yasmin Mistry is a 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund & Local Arts Support Grantee. Images: 1. Elena Egge, Yasmin Mistry, Octavia Vaughn, Charell Star, Dhevi Natarajan, part of the women-led team behind Absence/Presence, at the premiere party. 2. Director Yasmin Mistry hosts a Q&A with film participants Charell Star and Kim Flodin. Photo by Thu-Huong Hoang. 3. Theater marquee. Photo by Yasmin Mistry. 4. The Wythe Hotel screening room fills up in anticipation of the

🗣️ #BACVoices: Aeilushi Mistry, Founder of Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony, Brooklyn, NY “My heartfelt gratitude for funding my proposal. This funding truly allowed me to perform the 11th Annual Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony at the banks of East Mother River, Brooklyn, NY. Through this, we are making deeper engagement with communities and building bridges between communities. This funding supported the program expense and paid traditional artists for their talent who marked valuable memorable moments with participating members from various communities. Every year, through this process, it assures me how important and valuable it is for everyone to be surrounded by our roots, heritage, and tradition. There is a sense of responsibility and respect when coming together. I am growing deeper and deeper every year with my own roots and practices. On a personal note, I truly enjoyed bringing these celebrations. Thank you very much for helping me.” – Aeilushi Mistry, Founder, Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony Your generosity to BAC directly supports artists like Aeilushi who are working at the intersection of art and cultural heritage here in Brooklyn. Every year, Mistry leads the Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony on the shores of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pebble Beach and engages the community in collective art-making of palm leaf lamps. This Ceremony is traditionally performed each morning and evening along India’s rivers, in order to convey gratitude to mother river, reflect on community, and remember loved ones.  🩵 To donate to BAC, visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵  Images: Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 2023. Founded by Aeilushi Mistry, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photo by Erik Almeida.

🗣️ #BACVoices: Jaimie Warren "My residency with the Vandalia Older Adult Center was my most successful project with older adults to date. The enthusiasm of this center was unbelievable. Their energy did not disappoint, and fed into the project perfectly. Each workshop brought more goals and ambitious ideas which myself and my teaching partner, Sofia Dixon, worked hard to make sure these dreams came true...I believe that the more we can make these workshops and end products seen as successful and meaningful community art, the more the general public will see this magic and appreciate their older adult community in a way that is needed." - Jaimie Warren, SU-CASA Teaching Artist, Bergen Basin Vandalia Older Adult Center Supporting BAC means supporting access to the arts for Brooklyn's older adult community. Jaimie Warren's “Making TV Magic” residency at Bergen Basin Vandalia OAC was a workshop series where participants could create any TV show content they desired. The class learned both technical and hands-on skills including using digital SLR cameras and green screen, recording professional audio, navigating iMovie, costume design, and prop making. 🩵 To donate to BAC, visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Image: “Making TV Magic” Residency at Bergen Basin Vandalia Older Adult Center. Led by SU-CASA Teaching Artist Jaimie Warren. Photo courtesy of the artists, 2023.

👏🎙️ Thank you to those who joined us for “Hard2Earn Live: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” presented by Hard2Earn Podcast in collaboration with the Billie Holiday Theatre, Inc. and Brooklyn Arts Council. It was fantastic to meet, mingle, and connect with you in celebration of Wu-Tang’s legendary album and its impact on the Hip Hop industry. We’d also like to give a shoutout to the evening’s generous sponsors: Greedi Vegan , Bed-Vyne Wine & Spirits Shop, and Jack Daniel's. 📸 Want to see our beautiful crowd? View the album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB4XoB Photos by Sean Bell.

🗣️ #BACVoices: Dishman + Co. Choreography “BAC continues to be the most engaged, supportive granting organization I have ever encountered. As applicants, we are asked to demonstrate how we know and support the people in our communities, and BAC staff continually model this for me, offering care, help, and skillful presence across the board. This feels rare among funders and demonstrates integrity and commitment to BAC's mission and to the personal, specific care for Brooklyn communities toward which we as applicants are being challenged [and] inspired. Being involved with BAC has helped me to appreciate and love Brooklyn and its vibrant, diverse culture more; to seek out and know my direct community better.” – Elizabeth Dishman, Artistic Director, Dishman + Co. Choreography Your contributions to BAC support dance companies like Dishman + Co. Choreography. This year, they presented “Belly” a contemporary, collaborative dance work coupled with intimate post-show discussions and movement experiences. Audiences were welcomed into the creative process of embodied dialogue, moving together toward new possibilities for connection through the speaking and listening body. 🩵 Donate to BAC: bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Image: “Belly” choreographed by Elizabeth Dishman in collaboration with dancers Larissa Asebedo, Tony Gonzales, Mary Lyn Graves, Nadia Halim, Owen Prum, and Julie Seal. Dishman + Co. Choreography is a 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photos by Alice Chacon.

For #GivingTuesday, we wanted to share some heartfelt words from our amazing 2023 Grantees. Thank you New York Arab Festival, One Whale's Tale, Project.KB, Urbano Street, Exquisites, and Sabrina Chap for sharing your passion and artistry with us! Join BAC in strengthening the artistic and cultural fabric that makes Brooklyn such a quintessential place to call home. 🩵 Visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Pictured: 1. Cindy Sibilsky, Producer of New York Arab Festival, 2023 Creative Equations Fund Grantee. 2. Ellpetha Tsivicos & Camilo Quiroz-Vázquez, Co-Founders of One Whale’s Tale, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. 3. Kristina Bermudez, Iren Kamyshev and Daan Bootsma of Project KB, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. 4. Diana Hernandez, Co-Founder of Urbano Street, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. 5. Em Marie Kohl and Danilo Machado of Exquisites, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. 6. Sabrina Chap, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee.

#BACVoices: Darkness Rising Project Nonprofit “The generous support of BAC’s Brooklyn Arts Fund has been transformative for our community engagement initiatives. Through this award, we extended the reach of Broadway performances and mental health resources, ensuring that a broader section of Brooklyn residents could benefit from our programs. [This grant] also enabled us to carve out safe spaces where artists can employ music as a powerful tool for addressing mental health challenges within vulnerable communities. Direct payments were extended to these artists, a tangible investment in their craft, and by extension, our cultural heritage. This award has truly been instrumental in fostering artistic expression, community wellness, and economic growth within Brooklyn.” – Carlita Ector, Founding Executive Director, Darkness RISING Project Your contributions to BAC support artistic organizations like the Darkness RISING whose programs operate at the intersection of music and health. Not only do they use music as a vehicle to break the stigma around mental health, but they also center community wellness through programs like “REBUILD” which connects formerly incarcerated people of color to culturally competent therapists. 🩵 To donate to BAC, visit bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. 🩵 Image: “Darkness RISING: Live” presented by Darkness Rising Project, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photos by Elliott Ashby.

Today, BAC is exploring “Halloween” from a different cultural context. 🕯️💐💀 Have you ever participated in celebrating Día de los Muertos? Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 & 2. It holds great significance in the life of Mexico’s indigenous communities It is a day to honor and commemorate the lives of the dearly departed and to welcome the return of their spirits and is about collective healing and enduring the cycles of life. Today, it is celebrated in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the United States and around the world. Slides 1, 2: Photo by Marketa Novakova/Dreamstime. Source: New York Latin Culture Magazine. Slides 5, 7, 9: Photo via Collective Focus, BAC Thrive Fest 2022 participant. Collective Focus actively highlights the contributions of Indigenous Peoples.

It’s Active Aging Week! 🩵 Want to get involved in the older adult community? Apply to be a Creative Aging: SU-CASA Teaching Artist by Sunday, October 8. Learn More: brooklynartscouncil.org/what-we-do/arts-in-education/su-casa Images: 1. Mosaic Arts program participant at Jasa Brighton Beach Senior Center, led by BAC Teaching Artist Viktoriya Basina. 2. Dance program at Homecrest Bensonhurst Senior Center, led by BAC Teaching Artist Chia Ying Kao. 3. Ukulele Program at Midwood Older Adult Center, led by BAC Teaching Artist Gwendolyn Fitz. 4. Storytelling & Performance program at Bay Ridge Center for Older Adults, led by BAC Teaching Artist Becca Bernard.

Applications for BAC Grants, SU-CASA Creative Aging, and Panelists are due in less than two weeks! Don't forget to click submit by Sunday, October 8. Open Applications: 💥 Creative Equations Fund 💥 Brooklyn Arts Fund 💥 Local Arts Support 💥 Charlene & Ella 💥 Grant Panelists 💥 SU-CASA Teaching Artists 💥 SU-CASA Panelists Learn More: brooklynartscouncil.org/news/2024-grants-aie-open-calls Please review the guidelines for each opportunity thoroughly to make sure you are eligible. Image: "Cameo" Ad by Ogemdi Ude, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee.