The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, invites the community to these events with the Robert Nusbaum Center at Virginia Wesleyan University. For more information visit https://www.vwu.edu/academics/robert-nusbaum-center/.
Exodus in America: Exploring Coastal Virginia’s Racial Legacy of Place and Displacement
Monday, September 27, 7–8:30 pm
Jane P. Batten Student Center, Pearce Suite
Intense issues in the community’s history relate to race and displacement. How can such issues be approached thoughtfully and creatively? This evening is part of an open play-making process, which shows how the arts can be effective in reflecting on the history of social challenges and exploring their connections to today. The In[HEIR]itance Project (I[H]P) is a national arts organization that creates space for communities to navigate challenging civic conversations through collaborative theater projects inspired by sacred texts. Participants in Coastal Virginia will be co-creators in a play that explores the racial dynamics of the region’s legacy of place and displacement in relationship to themes from the Book of Exodus. The finished play premieres at the 2022 Virginia Arts Festival. This evening’s interactive salon – facilitated by I[H]P Co-founders Chantal Pavageaux, Jon Adam Ross, and Ariel – is the first step in this process.
Sponsored in partnership with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and Hands United Building Bridges, an interfaith, interracial network of clergy, congregations, and community leaders in Coastal Virginia. This program is made possible, in part, by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and Virginia Humanities.