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Oklahoma State Capitol

2018 Oklahoma Arts Conference

Panchromatic: Spectrum of Possibilities

DWe Williams
DWe Williams is a lifelong storyteller and producing director of Rhythmically Speaking—an Oklahoma City theater company that combines storytelling, drama, songs, rhythm, and audience participation in its educational programming for youth and families; and, Ebony Voices—a storytelling group that through song and story deals with a wide array of issues and themes related to the perspectives of women. A longtime member of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s teaching and performing rosters, Williams has performed and presented programming in schools, libraries, community settings, churches, and conferences. Notable Ebony Voices productions in which Williams has been involved include “Hannah Atkins,” Nothing But Mercy: A Private Room Please,” “Clara Luper,” “Kathey Williams,” Pride on the Eastside,” and “Queens of Education.”

DWe Williams's Schedule
Oklahoma Cultural Arts, Heritage and Folk Art Forum
Date: Tuesday – October, 23 2018 Time: 10:00am - 4:30pm
Room: The Paramount on Film Row 2nd Floor
Traditional art forms steeped in the history of the diverse people and cultures of Oklahoma are inseparable from our identity as a state. These art forms are uniquely handed down from one generation to the next through informal yet meticulous practice, and because they are precious resources, they deserve our full attention. As the Oklahoma Arts Council embarks on a new initiative to support and elevate Oklahoma's rich folk and traditional arts and cultures, we are pleased to offer this important forum. The forum will center on a discussion of ways to support deeper engagement with Oklahoma's diverse cultural practices. It will also include a focus on ways to engage refugees and new immigrant populations. Oklahoma folk artists, tradition bearers, cultural representatives, and others are encouraged to take part in this special convening, offered through a partnership between the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Facilitated by Jennifer Joy Jameson and DWe Williams, this one-day forum is will offer a space for participants to collectively identify needs, challenges, and new opportunities for sharing and sustaining the rich cultural traditions that exist in Oklahoma. Feedback gathered at this interactive forum will be implemented into the next steps of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s folk and traditional arts initiative. Come be a part of this engaging and exciting new program!

Schedule for the Forum:
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — Registration, coffee and networking
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Part 1: Welcome & Grounding the Space
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. — Break for lunch
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Part 2: Overview of new folk/traditional arts forum; collective visioning;
identifying needs, goals, opportunities, and ways to thrive
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Closing and Gratitude

This program will take place on the 2nd Floor of the Paramount on Film Row. Enter through the south doors (on Sheridan Ave.) and take the stairs to your left. (If you need to use an elevator, please enter through the East entrance (on Lee Ave.).

Parking for the event:
Handicap accessible parking is available in the lot just west of the Paramount Building. Day time parking is available for $10 per day at the parking garage on Sheridan Ave. and Walker Ave.

Facilitator Bios:
Jennifer Joy Jameson is a California public folklorist and cultural organizer with an interest in documenting the ways culture shapes creativity, especially in rural spaces. She directed the Folk and Traditional Arts program at the Mississippi Arts Commission from 2014 to early 2017, and is now based in Los Angeles, working with the statewide Alliance for California Traditional Arts, directing programs, grants, and media work with a focus on cultural equity.

DWe Williams is a lifelong storyteller and producing director of Rhythmically Speaking—an Oklahoma City theater company that combines storytelling, drama, songs, rhythm, and audience participation in its educational programming for youth and families; and, Ebony Voices—a storytelling group that through song and story deals with a wide array of issues and themes related to the perspectives of women. A longtime member of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s teaching and performing rosters, Williams has performed and presented programming in schools, libraries, community settings, churches, and conferences. Notable Ebony Voices productions in which Williams has been involved include “Hannah Atkins,” Nothing But Mercy: A Private Room Please,” “Clara Luper,” “Kathey Williams,” Pride on the Eastside,” and “Queens of Education.”


Oklahoma’s Soulful Stories: Building Community by Affirming the Past and Empowering the Future
Date: Thursday – October, 25 2018 Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Room: Carpenter Square Theatre Track: Community Development
For more than 20 years, Rhythmically Speaking—an Oklahoma City-based theater and storytelling company—has researched, scripted, and produced original productions chronicling black history in Oklahoma. These “soulful stories” have served to validate and build awareness of the important contributions of black Oklahomans to the history of the state. Stories that have been presented by Rhythmically Speaking include “Sweet Biscuits: Thirteen Remaining Black Towns of Oklahoma,” “Boley Bank Robbery,” “Clara Luper,” “W.J. Edwards,” “Nothing But Mercy,” “John Hope Franklin,” “Tulsa Race Riot,” “Swingin’ and Singing on the Duece,” “Douglass High School Class of 1966,” “Pride on the Eastside,” “Queens of Education,” and “Hannah Diggs Atkins.” This session will explore the contributions of Hannah Diggs Atkins and open discussion on how and why her “soulful story” is a community builder. Participants will learn basic techniques for researching, writing, and producing a history-based performance.

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Questions?
For more information contact our Director of Rural and Creative Community Outreach.