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‘Resist” art series comes to the city

Hoopla Productions, the producers of Jamaica Plain Porchfest, are bringing several arts events to JP and the city this spring as part of the ResistARTS series with a mission to build community across the divides of race, class, culture and immigrant status.

The series is a response to the Trump administration’s attitudes and policies in relation to immigration, diversity, and equal rights. ResistARTS was born after the current Presidential election based on Hoopla Productions’ beliefs in the power of community in the face of hatred and bigotry.

“We must come together as a community to support and care for one another; we need to resist the hatred and bigotry that is being touted by our current administration; and we need to organize against regressive policies that are threatening our democracy and negatively impacting people of color, immigrants, women, and LGBQT people,” said Mindy Fried, co-executive director of Hoopla Productions.

All of the ResistARTS events raise money to support community and activist groups, such as Bikes Not Bombs, English for New Bostonians, City Life/Vida Urbana and Black Lives Matter.

An upcoming event as part of the series is Resist and Rejoice!, which will feature gospel music by Petrichor and a spoken word performance by Porsha Olayiwola. This is a free event, but donations will be collected for two nonprofit organizations supporting youth. The first is The Student Immigrant Movement, an immigrant-led organization that organizes youth ages 13-30 by providing political education and leadership training. The other nonprofit the event will raise funds for is Boston GLASS, which serves LGBQT youth, youth of color, and their allies.

Resist & Rejoice will take place on Feb. 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Hope Central, located at 85-87 Seaverns Ave in JP. For more info, visit http://bit.ly/2EEzrh7.

Another event that will be produced as part of the series will be called Re-Read Me a Story, which will take place in March. This is a storytime for adults which is centered around social justice themes, with children’s stories read to live music accompaniment with Beatriz McConnie Zapater. This event is in collaboration with the Connolly Branch of the Boston Public Library and Egleston Square Main Street, and will raise funds for a youth group in Puerto Rico. The date and location of this event is to be announced.

The third event planned in the series is a multi-media performance and debut of Ife Franklin’s new biography of her great-grandmother, Willie Mae McCain, who was a slave. This will be on April 14 from 5-8pm at Black Market, located at 2136 Washington St. in Dudley Square Roxbury.

ResistARTS events have included music, spoken word and storytelling by artists with a message. These smaller events are free, but Hoopla raises funds to pay the artists and to cover rental fees, food and other miscellaneous costs.

Hoopla Productions has also been hired by various organizations, including The Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Convention Center, to produce large-scale events, often working closely with neighborhood residents and artists. These types of events have taken place at the Lawn on D in South Boston and another event called Lighting the Line in Dorchester. Hoopla is currently working on more new projects, and encourages the community to stay tuned by visiting hooplaproductions.org.

Hoopla Productions’ signature event is JP Porchfest, a free, all day event in the summer that brings together over 800 artists who perform on porches throughout the neighborhood. This year Porchfest will be on July 7 will be its 5th year. Registration for artists starts on March 1.

Emily Resnevic:
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