BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — New art shows and performances coming to Brooklyn this fall will highlight community responses to social injustice and inequality, according to organizers.
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation’s Center for Arts and Culture launched “Project Protest: The Art of Revolution” this month, bringing a collective of more than 100 artists to the borough through October.
The program examines how communities of African and Caribbean descent challenge social, economic and educational injustices through protest, organizers said.
“We feel like this is a wonderful moment given what’s been happening in the country over the last several years,” said Indira Etwaroo, executive director for the Center for Arts and Culture at Restoration.
“It’s a moment when people have come together and asked some tough questions of how decisions are being made.”
The series kicks off with The Billie Holiday Theatre’s presentation of “12 Angry Men,” a theatrical performance from the book “12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today.”
Directed by Tony Award-winner George Faison, the production debuts on Oct. 15 and features a cast that includes John Amos from “Good Times” and Dulé Hill of “The West Wing.”
As Bed-Stuy’s Billie Holiday Theatre on Fulton Street undergoes renovation, “12 Angry Men” will be hosted at The Kumble Theater at University Place.
The Skylight Gallery at 1368 Fulton St. will showcase the work of more than 50 New York City artists during an opening reception on Sept. 25.
Other events for “Project Protest” include a literary brunch with actor Wendell Pierce, the neighborhood’s annual celebration of RestorationRocks! featuring rapper Rakim and spoken word artist Mo Beasley, and a screening of "Selma" at Restoration's outdoor plaza.
“We’d love to give the platform in this conversation to artists and really take a look at how they feel," Etwaroo said.
“We hope it takes audiences into a deeper dive as to how artists play a role in this national conversation and challenging the status quo.”
For a full schedule of events, visit The Center for Arts and Culture website here.
