The Loisaida Center is proud to announce
2016 Summer Artists in Residence:
THE SCHOOL OF POETIC ARTS (LA SOPA)
La Sopa
June 18th, 2016–August 27th, 2016
Objective
The objective was to host two series of “summer sessions” at Loisaida, one in June and July that focuses on the historical study of the poetics of the Nuyorican, Black Arts, and Beat Movements and the other one in August that consists of two writing workshops that will explore and give voice to personal and societal issues from the perspectives of both women and men.
Overview
La Sopa (School of Poetic Arts) is a program of Capicu Poetry & Cultural Showcase, led by Juan “Papo Swiggity” Santiago (Director of Operations), Jani Rose (Director of Education) and George Torres (Director of Engagement), with pedagogical contributions by author Rich Villar. It is facilitated by established members of the arts community who are seasoned teaching artists. The founders, as poets began the series with poetry workshops, and have plans to expand the series to include many more artistic disciplines. With their finger on the pulse of the art movement throughout the Tri-state area, they have access to professors and teaching artists who are knowledgeable in many different areas. Their pedagogy is that of a S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) program, as it pertains to adult innovators seeking mastery of arts or entrepreneurship, and the full rollout includes coursework in:
- Science: the use of social sciences in identity and influence, reader/audience perception, interaction, understanding of community needs, and the development of approaches by which these needs might be fulfilled (which will include traditional and social media marketing)
- Technology: the use of cutting-edge phone and computer apps and tools for writers and artists along with best practices in using social media engagement
- Engineering: sound and stage engineering for theatrical classes and/or music production and app creation
- Arts: prose and poetry writing, performance, acting, screenplay, vocal, live paint, comic book and graphic novel design, and web design.
- Mathematics: financial education classes with a focus on ground level issues such as credits, saving for retirement, and real estate for first home/condo/co-op
As artists and scholars from historically marginalized communities, La Sopa feels it is important to create opportunities for their stories to be seen, read, and heard while it provides a platform for those voices to be supported and uplifted, increasing the proliferation of creative works across the artistic spectrum. La Sopa is rooted in a vision of the artist as a cultural worker, in the longstanding tradition of the creative community of the Lower East Side, and its founders, administrators, and faculty all believe strongly in the power of creativity to affect change in society. This program resulted from their shared commitment to provide a dynamic environment for diverse communities of artists to convene, work on a craft, develop their voices within the community, and publicly promote that work through the use of social media and other technologies. A strong familial dynamic underpins the program’s dedication to the quality of content, as well as the reversal of destructive forces within our creative community, and, as the program expands its support base and builds its community, La Sopa will engage faculty and students similarly rooted in cultural work and community betterment.
Completed Project
Every Saturday from June 18th to July 16th and from 11:00 am to 3:30 am, La Sopa hosted their first series of summer sessions that focused on exploring new forms, digging into personal histories, and exploring the concept of “duende” in poetry and live performance. With focuses on the Nuyorican movement, black arts, and the Beat Movement, they explored the proposition that the poem can be another kind of performance, and, without privileging one form of poetic expression over another, they built poems out of sound cues, story prompts, lineation, and compelling language while also discussing the difference between cultural capital and capitalism, and where they should and should not cross. In addition to online office hours during the week with instructors, this series of sessions culminated in a social media Capstone for the student artists.
The second set of summer sessions, which took place every Saturday from August 13th to August 27th and from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, comprised two writing workshops that explored and gave voice to personal and societal issues from the perspectives of both men and women. This multi-level educational workshop series provided a communal space dedicated to the development of artistic skill, while exploring the core principles of theatrical and literary expression. Participants, who were required to be 17 or older, were required to send 3 samples of their work and draft an application.
Words from La Sopa
The School of Poetic Arts (La SoPA NYC) is an educational workshop series from Capicu Culture that provides a communal space dedicated to the development of artistic skill and exploring the core principles of theatrical and literary expression. Join us as the first official class of our Artist residency at The Loisaida Center, Inc! As artists and scholars from historically marginalized communities, we feel that it is important to create opportunities for our stories to be seen, read, and heard. La Sopa provides a platform for those voices to be supported and uplifted, increasing the proliferation of creative works across the artistic spectrum. Our time together, generating and editing works, launching new ideas and projects, is an inspirational way to end each week and begin anew. We look forward to the return of our previous participants, as well as the addition of new voices that will enrich the experience.
The Capicu School of Poetic Arts (La SoPA) is a multi-level educational workshop series provides a communal space dedicated to the development of artistic skill, while exploring the core principles of theatrical and literary expression. We look forward to collaborating with the Loisaida Center, an organization aspiring to build a connection between community learners, artists, and scholars through affordable education opportunities in cultural fields. As artists and scholars from historically marginalized communities, we feel that it is important to create opportunities for our stories to be seen, read, and heard. La Sopa provides a platform for those voices to be supported and uplifted, increasing the proliferation of creative works across the artistic spectrum.
Writers of all levels of experience are welcome to join us for this new Summer 2016 season of La SoPA, at the Loisaida Center, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC. Comprised of 2 sessions from June through August (details above).
Our time together, generating and editing works, launching new ideas and projects, is an inspirational way to end each week and begin anew. We look forward to the return of our previous participants, as well as the addition of new voices that will enrich the experience.
Outcomes: La Sopa is rooted in a vision of the artist as cultural worker, in the longstanding tradition of the creative community of the Lower East Side. La Sopa’s founders, administrators, and faculty all believe strongly in the power of creativity to affect change in society. This program is the result of their shared commitment to provide a dynamic environment for diverse communities of artists to convene, work on craft, develop their voices within community, and publicly promote that work through the use of social media and other technologies. A strong familial dynamic underpins the program’s dedication to quality of content, as well as the reversal of destructive forces within our creative community. As the program expands its support base and builds its community, La Sopa will engage faculty and students similarly rooted in cultural work and community betterment.
Links: SOPA
Contact Info: LaSopaNYC@gmail.com