2020/21

artistic season | The Evolution of African Culture

This year we introduced our first thematic season, curated under the theme: The Evolution of African Culture. The planned series consisted of performing arts, humanities and educational events conceived to explore how the African artistic aesthetic is represented in contemporary Black art. We featured work by Titus Fotso, a West African dancer and choreographer, Lula Washington, artistic director of Lulu Washington Dance Theatre and artists from Syncopated Ladies, a Los Angeles based tap dance band. A multidisciplinary series was developed providing access to Los Angeles, national and international artists to showcase their talents to WACO’s audiences virtually. Our I Got the Mic program, in collaboration with Eli Lu Entertainment, is a four part series fixated on wordplay, metaphors, expressions and creative storytelling. Distributed as a virtual show on our social media platforms, each episode showcased poets, spoken word artists and wordsmiths, a musical guest performance, DJ, visual artist highlight and a special co-host. ​​Featured artists included Nikki Giovanni, Clay Dub, Abiodun Oyewole and Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. In late 2021, we expanded our work in the digital realm by producing a film adaptation of Richard Wesley’s play Black Terror. We partnered with two Newark, NJ based organizations, Newark Symphony Hall, New Jersey’s largest Black-led arts and entertainment venue, and its resident partner Yendor Theatre Company, and cast actors from both Newark and Los Angeles.