Wimmin@Work 2018
Presented by The Hayti Heritage Center and SOULOWORKS/Andrea E. Woods
Wimmin@work celebrates Women’s History Month at Hayti Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 3:00 pm. This collaborative of artists displays the rich heritage and talent of women of color from the Durham and surrounding communities. Vendor spaces are available. Tickets are $10 and children 12 and under are free.
wimmin@work is an interdisciplinary performance showcase by women of color. It takes place during Women’s history month but it is a timeless opportunity to celebrate contemporary women’s history in the making. Our creative vehicles are dance, music, literature, scholarship, poetry, song and more. The variety of performers is inter-generational and the common factor is a desire to recognize one another as artistic peers and to contribute to our communities. The foundation of how and why we do our work is acknowledging that we stand on the mighty and magnificent shoulders of women artists, educators, mentors, family and friends. Our work is a reflection of our communities and our histories.
Why this project? In short wimmin@work 2016 was conceived of by dancer/choreographer, Andrea E. Woods Valdés as a way to say, “Hey sister wimmin artists, I see you out there working away, and I want the best for you as I do for myself.” As a collective, we want to reach back to my teachers, students, mentors, ancestors, friends and family and say, “Because of you I do this thing called making art and when I speak the world speaks back. Thank you for that gift!” When Woods Valdés asked many women friends in the Triangle Area, “What are you doing for wimmin’s herstory month? Let’s make something happen.” The overwhelming response was, “Yes, let’s do something together.” As artists and educators, we spend a lot of time working hard and making life happen. We risk becoming isolated in our creative endeavors even as we work for and speak of community and social engagement. The wimmin@work performers are an amalgamation of independent women artists. In performance, we come together to acknowledge one another and to say, “Thank you” to our respective communities and sources of inspiration. Creativity is meant to share, multiply and grow. We invite everyone to come out as a witness and celebrant of wimmin@work!
