I've been keeping pretty busy lately. My projects have a world all their own. It's why I formed 55AP last Fall, but more on that another time...
Supporting me on Patreon as the hub of all of this work - I consistently create space for Black artists and my own writing, but creative time as a parent requires your children to be occupied or sleep to be at a minimum. The balance between all of that is real.
There is truly something for everyone as it relates to Black creatives on this list:
From Blackboard Plays, the reading series I've been running for nearly 14 years at this point, toHarlem9, the OBIE Award winning producing collaborative that is responsible for "48Hours in...™Harlem" "48Hours in...™El Bronx", "48Hours in...™Holy Ground", "48Hours in...™Detroit", and "48Hours in...™Dallas"... to name a few... PLUS the anthologies we publish that include the work we have been producing over the years.
#BMPFestexists to make space for Black Parent Playwrights to tell the stories of Black Families. We are so nuanced and rarely are we able to live in those complexities - rarely are we invited to tell those stories. Our Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival, makes the space for that!
Obsidian Theatre Festival is a Black Theatre Festival in Detroit. I am currently their Creative Producer and it was an important project to add to my already busy roster because it is in my hometown of Detroit and I will find any reason to create at home and support artists and aspiring artists in Detroit because I was once a high schooler who thought hard about a journey back to Detroit that didn't involve Detroit because I desired a more diverse set of opportunities and to be in New York for a while.
All of these projects have Black artists in common and today and everyday!
Happy Friday, Patrons!We had yet another wonderful Team meeting today with our Comms Team, Zoe Communications Agency out of Dallas, TX!TODAY… we saw another view of our website…🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾Zoe Comms shared the link with us last...
To view this content, you must be a member of Garlia's Patreon at $1 or more
This is my first post in quite some time. I'm trying to do better about posting to my blog. It used to be a thing I did pretty often and then LIFE HAPPENED... more like... divorce, new job, pandemic and moving... lots of blog posts in there and my Patrons have been receiving the behind the scenes over views, so if you're interested in joining my community! I'd love to have you.
But this post is about #BMPFest...
... and where should I begin...?
Well, it's gonna take a couple posts to catch up maybe... but also maybe not... #BMPFest is the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival I co-created with Rachel Spencer Hewitt of PAAL (Parenting Artist Advocacy League).
Here's a Playlist of Trailers, interviews, intros and our panel from the 1st Annual #BMPFest!
This year, we are looking at the Fall of 2022, but before we get there, we need the plays, right...?
So... SUBMISSIONS opened January 1st and we want to make sure that you spread the word. I'm including the notice below! If you are a Black Playwright with a Family - that includes if you are a caregiver, then you are invited. We are interested in telling the stories of Black mothers, fathers and non-binary Parents and Caregivers!
Blackboard Plays and Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) partner to uplift the experiences of Black Parenthood. The Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival was established to tell stories from and about Black artists with families.
MISSION STATEMENT
Since 2008, Blackboard Plays has been devoted to Black Playwrights throughout the African Diaspora. Blackboard Reading Series was incubated at Nancy Manocherian's the cell in Chelsea's Manhattan as a resident series for 10 years before Blackboard made its home in The Mary Rodgers Room at The Dramatists Guild in 2018. Feature Readings and Community Nights are two ways that Blackboard supports the development of new work by Black Playwrights. Blackboard was founded by Garlia Cornelia Jones.
Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) is a national advocacy organization serving as a resource hub, community, and solutions generator for caregivers in the performing arts and media and the institutions who support them. PAAL created the first all-gender, all-disciplinenational PAAL Childcare Grants for individuals and institutions. PAAL has participated internationally in think tanks, on panels, and facilitated workshops on parenting in the arts at multiple gatherings, including the national TCG conferences, BroadwayCon, Actors Equity Association, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, and the first national conversation on caregiving in the Latinx community at the Latinx Theatre Commons Annual Convening, Miami in Motion, in 2019. PAAL commits to anti-racist roots in structure, practice, policy, principle, and production, through Vertical 50/50, centering support on BIPOC artists, and gathering resources for active anti-racism in caregiver support.
PURPOSE STATEMENT
PAAL and Blackboard established #BMPFest to showcase the creative output of Black parent playwrights. They issued an open call in October 2020 for writers who identify as Black parents or caregivers to submit up to 10 pages of work that they would develop into a one-act.
SEEKING
The Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival (#BMPFest) is seeking new plays by Black Parent and caregiver playwrights for its upcoming theatre festival in the Fall of 2022.
#BMPFest is open to those that identify as Black parents and caregivers.
#BMPFest is seeking stories centering the Black parenting and caregiving experience.
This includes, but is not limited to stories from artists with family responsibilities.
PAAL and Blackboard are transgender and non-binary affirming spaces. All language referencing "mother," "parent," "dad," "caregiver," and their derivatives include and refer to any individual who identifies with them.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
March 1st, 2022 at 11:59 PM EST
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Please submit up to 10 pages MAX of a play that you would develop into a One-Act (30 - 45 minutes.)
Ten (10) Semi-Finalists will have a feature digital (zoom) reading as part of Blackboard Plays’ ‘21-22 Season.
Four (4) Finalists will develop their One-Act centering on the Black parenting and caregiving experience to premiere digitally during the Fall of 2022.
If you are chosen as one of our ten (10) semi-finalists, we will request the full script for review.
Diverse Gender representation will be prioritized in the review and selection process.
Each produced play will have digital production elements and an assigned director.
Although we ask for a sample of 10-pages, this is not a 10-minute play festival. . Video Submissions will not be accepted.
LOCATION
The Final four (4) plays will be produced virtually.
Pending partner theatre preferences, we will consider a hybrid presentation.
Vaccination will be required for all participants of in-person productions
COMPENSATION
Each of the four (4) Finalists will be paid a stipend of $1,000. USD, as well as a $500. USD Caregiver Reimbursement Stipend per artist.
FAQ
Question: What if my play has already had a reading or what if it has been produced somewhere else. Can I still submit it?
While we encourage new work we also support the developmental process. If your piece is in development, has had a reading, or been produced at smaller theatres then send it along.
Now let’s grow our Patreon.Happy Black History Month, Patrons!We shared on our socials today and in our newsletter that we are looking for 6 more patrons to make it to 10!Thank you for being here!...
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Good Morning, Blackboard!!(I wrote this yesterday - 1-27-22)This is a patron-only post!Yesterday - Wednesday - we received a notification that our website meta-data was hacked ! I had just picked up my son from school...
To view this content, you must be a member of Garlia's Patreon at $1 or more
We are so excited to activate this space a little more in 2022!
Last year was a pretty busy one for Blackboard. The pandemic activated a digital life for the series and in addition to a few digital / zoom readings, we also produced a major festival in collaboration with PAAL – Parent Artist Advocacy League
I’m excited to share that our patreon will be the official #behindthescenes for the Festival and we are excited for you to track our progress from now until November.
We did a soft launch for the submissions beginning on January 1st and they will close on March 1, 2022. We are looking for Playwrights who are Black Artists with Families. This includes: Parents and Caregivers, Mothers, Fathers and non-binary playwrights.
With submissions open, we are focusing on fundraising during this moment. The goal with #BMPFest is not only to produce this festival – producing this festival is making space for the stories of Black parents and caregivers. We are ensuring that we – Black parents and caregivers are included in the narrative. WHAT is YOUR Black Parent or Caregiver story that you want to share?
THAT is what #BMPFest is about. That is why completing this raise for the festival AND work on the creation of funds for a GRANT for a BLACK PARENT PLAYWRIGHT is what this festival and what Blackboard has been interested in supporting since I became a parent in 2012. It was an immediate need for me… support to continue writing as a parent. I longed to work on my plays and have my daughter next to me. I longed for someone to hold her while I wrote or I longed for the ability to hire support so that the both of us could maintain a schedule that was what we needed.
None of that was my experience, but 10 years later (and I cannot believe I almost have a 10-year old), the festival can create the space for a Black artist with a family to work on their craft of writing the way that they need to accomplish their next step.
Thank you for your time.
I look forward to sharing more with you!
Sincerely,
Garlia Cornelia Jones
Founder – Blackboard Plays
Executive Producer – #BMPFest
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THIS IS A PUBLIC POST.
If not a patron already, this is the sort of #behindthescenes content we will share along our journey of producing this festival this year. We are exciting to share our journey with you and hope that you will support us monthly.
We are thrilled to announce that our next feature is around the corner… MONDAY in fact. Blackboard Plays has also been in support of Black Playwrights at all levels in their development and we are...
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Join us on Zoom, Patrons!Quarantine life has been busy for us as we’ve been in the lab a little bit working to make a virtual FEATURE reading experience for you after the two community nights...
To view this content, you must be a member of Garlia's Patreon at $1 or more
I am oh so pleased that our Blackboard Patreon family has grown so much within the last couple months!
THANK YOU to our NEW PATRONS!!! Isaac, Angela, Jerrica, Bonnie and Alysia for your support !
There have been many shifts in our world since we began here on Patreon. One is that we are twice monthly in The Mary Rodgers Room at The Dramatists Guild.
We have dreams and aspirations for further growth, but something that is really important is how we are able to keep up the series and give the support that is so necessary to Black Playwrights.
Our Community Nights have been on fire recently! Thanks to everyone who has been in attendance.
PLAYWRIGHTS: Bring your own copies of the work you plan to have read for as many actors as you need for your piece!
ACTORS: Bring yourselves
When you arrive, we will take the time to gather and pass out pages and review the work before we build the line up and go! Similar to an open-mic poetry night!
We will have gathering and assign plays for about twenty minutes in the beginning. If you are running behind, no worries.
EVERYONE: Feel free to continue to share and bring friends!
Hope to see you tomorrow!!
Not a Patron yet?! Becoming one is easy! JOIN our community by clicking or tapping the orange button on the side (OR HERE). Patreon is such a special place for artists to give a behind-the-scenes look at work they have been developing.
Becoming a patron begins at the $1/ month level!
✘ Before you go ✘
1. Please comment on the post or tap the heart if you liked what you read.
For the last two weeks, I’ve been an Artist in Residence at Popps Packing in Hamtramck, MI. I went to elementary school in Hamtramck, and so the two square mile city holds many wonderful memories for me.
The cool thing about this residency is that it supports parents in the arts! This image is from their announcement on their Facebook page in late May!
Let’s be honest: I’m nervous about Sunday. But the good news is that I’ve been able to work on a few new plays, and grateful for the two weeks to write. I’m looking forward to what the final product will be.
I am fortunate to have met a wonderful group of actors and I will be sharing their headshots and bios with you later in the week.
The reading is Free of Charge, and wine and refreshments will be provided, but please RSVP, so that we may know how many people we are preparing for and how many chairs we need, etc…
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, if you’re in Hamtramck, Detroit or the Metro Detroit area!
Learn more about my work as a writer, producer and photographer and support ongoing developmental readings by becoming on of my Patrons for as little as $1/ month. My patreon community is growing and a great way get exclusive content and a behind-the-scenes look at the work I am doing.
