As our community continues to shelter in place we see that the need for community creative expression and a central cultural hub is intensifying. In response, we have shifted the operations of our historic venue to function as a production house, 6Feet Apart Productions. In this way, continue to act as a (virtual) community gathering space, engage our youth, support artists, and unite our community.
As a cultural institution, we remain committed to the idea that art and culture are an essential part of creating a vibrant, just, and healthy society particularly in times when our community cannot gather physically.
Black Creative Force Series
For Black History Month BVOH celebrated the Black Creative Force in all its forms: community advancement, performing arts, visual arts and more. Take a look at some of our top highlights from the Black Creative Force series and visit our YouTube page to check out the full thirteen-part series!
Harry Potter Readings
The world of Harry Potter re-imaged to be populated by Black characters. The story of Harry Potter is a story of a young man that is feared and ostracized because of inherent traits - that he has no control over. There are parallels in the modern experience of many young black youths. To achieve this shift we worked with local Bayview artist, Amahd Walker, currently, the Artist-in-Residence at the Hunters Point Shipyard, to create illustrations of the newly imagined Harry Potter world. Each week, a new chapter is read by a local performing artist or community leader.
The New Normal
The New Normal, written and directed by BVOH Theater Manager, Ashely Smiley, is a Zoom-inspired weekly series that takes a comical look a the new rules, the new etiquette, the new normal we find ourselves in. This series is a creative space for experimentation and the exploration of new ways to think about live performance.
Art 6ft Apart
Art 6ft Apart is a component of the virtual continuation of BVOH's Dare to Dream Arts Education Program. Each week, local artist, Joseph Givens, is joined by BVOH Production Manager, Zarahia Perdomo, and DROID for a fun engaging class about drawing and friendship.