Joseph Bruchac to be featured at 17th Annual Etheridge Knight Festival of the Arts
April 5- 6 2008
Much of Bruchac’s writing draws on his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished.
His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Tell Me a Tale, his autobiography Bowman's Store, and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, and The Heart of a Chief and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), a historical novel, and Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School.
Etheridge Knight Inc. Theater Debuts with 2007-2008 Season
The Etheridge Knight Inc. Theater strives to provide an arena for African-American artists to develop skills in the dramatic arts. The focus is on skill development and entertainment of positive cultural relevance for African-American directors, actors, writers, technicians and educators or those with an interest in any of these fields. Our desire is to serve all ages of the Indianapolis and surrounding communities in general, and the local African-American Community in particular.
A faith-based partnership with Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church will help launch the 2007 – 08 season of the Etheridge Knight Theater. Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church began on 1 January 2006 upon the union of two historic downtown churches – Central Avenue UMC and Lockerbie Square UMC – each bringing a history of over 150 years of spiritual development and social services including the founding of Methodist Hospital, Wheeler Mission, and community health care clinics. The programs and ministries of LCUMC are open to all people who wish to share in their mission of Justice, Mercy, and Discipleship.
Kendra Mitchell named Artistic Director of the Etheridge Knight Theater
After directing Dinah, Lost Daughter of Israel for the 2007 16th Annual Etheridge Knight Festival of the Arts, Mitchell was named the Artistic Director of The Etheridge Knight Theater. Mitchell is a talented actor and model who has performed throughout the Midwest region over the last twenty years. She has been seen in various commercials, independent and industrial films, and corporate videos. She has performed on stage at the Phoenix Theatre (Seven Guitars, Crowns, The Old Settler), Theatre on the Square (Tiny Tim is Dead, Cementville, For Colored Girls . . . .), American Cabaret (Fats and Eubie), the Civic Theater (Sophisticated Lady), Lilly Theater (Peter Rabbit and Me), and most recently at the Oaklandon Civic Theater (A Piece of My Heart).
Café Li’ture @ Lockerbie Square
Starting September 8, 2007, Café Li’ture will be at Earth House @ Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, 237 N. East Street, the first Friday of each month, 6pm. This open mic, open stage venue for poets, performing artists, musicians, authors, and storytellers will be hosted by Mijiza Yaa Soyini. Earth House Coffee and Books offers Fair Trade coffees and teas, smoothies, soft drinks, and sweet treats as well as Wi-Fi internet access, a book store, tables and lounge chairs, and space for intimate conversations or small group discussions.
Minimum donation $5.00
For more information call 524-6951/ 637-2716 or e-mail EK@EKFestival.org
Café Li’Ture will continue also at Starbucks (2901 N. College Ave.) every third Wednesday of the month @ 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
