Breaking News: HAMAPAH/THE MAP to be part of Saratoga ArtsFest June 10th. 2012

HaMapah will be  one of the many exciting performances featured at the Saratoga ArtsFest in Saratoga Springs, NY.   If you are in the area, we would love to see you there!

You can find out more about the ArtsFest here: 
http://www.saratogaartsfest.org/

ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE Documentary Viewing and Panel March 14th 7-9pm at Creative Arts Team Studios in NYC

“Acting Together on the World Stage” Documentary Viewing and Panel with Daniel Banks, Catherine Filloux, Kate Gardner, and Charles Mulekwa on Wednesday, March 14th, 7-9pm, Creative Arts Team Studios

101 W. 31st Street, 6th Floor

To reserve a spot, please e-mail Michael Wilson at Michael.Wilson@mail.cuny.edu.

The feature documentary “Acting Together on the World Stage” highlights courageous and creative artists and peacebuilders working in conflict zones. It features theatrical works and rituals that reach beneath people’s defenses in respectful ways that support communities to configure new patterns of meaning and relationships. Witness the plays that animated the US civil rights movement; watch ancient rituals enacted alongside Peru’s Reconciliation Commission; and experience the beat of African and Australian youth addressing conflict through call and response.

The documentary grows out of a six-year initiative of Theatre Without Borders, Brandeis University and filmmaker Allison Lund. Dynamic footage of performances, rituals and candid interviews with artists and peacebuilders place case studies in their socio-political and cultural contexts.  The documentary is designed for students, practitioners, educators, and policymakers in fields related to performance and to peace and conflict studies, and for others who believe – or who want to be convinced – that human communities have the creative capacities to transform conflict non-violently.

The "Acting Together" Project began in 2005 as a partnership between the Brandeis University and Theatre Without Borders. It involves scholars and practitioners working in fifteen conflict regions, collaborating on an anthology, a documentary, and a Web site, while building a learning community and strengthening networks. The project is led by principal investigator, Dr. Cynthia Cohen in the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts within the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life at Brandeis University.  The project is yielding rich case studies, theoretical frameworks, and recommendations to policymakers to legitimate and strengthen the emerging field of peacebuilding performance. It is already beginning to catalyze conversations and mobilize action to advance this important work.

"Hip Hop Theatre: Theatre of Now" at ConnCollege (February 28th)

Daniel will be speaking to a class at ConnCollege on February 28th. 

SAY WORD! @ Revolution Books in NYC (February 29th, 7:00pm)

Daniel will be joined by award winning poets reg e gaines and Eboni Hogan for conversation about Hip Hop Theatre, Poetry, Politics and Performance. 

Revolution Books is located at 146 W. 26th Street (between 6th Ave and 7tn Ave.)
212.691.3345
visit revolutionbooksnyc.org for more information.

ACTING TOGETHER comes to the Santa Fe Art Institute! (Febraury 13th, 6:00pm)

Join Daniel Banks, Roberta Levitow, Jorge de la Torre and Issa Nyaphaga with moderator Pati Sato Monday February 13 @ 6pm

in Tipton Hallfor the feature documentary Acting Together on the World Stage which highlights courageous and creative artists and peacebuilders working in conflict zones.

Winter Dances: Jan 25th and 26th at 7pm and Jan 29th at 2pm

The Dance Department of New Mexico School For the Arts presents its annual Winter Dances, January 25th and 26th at 7pm and January 29th at 2pm at James A. Little Theatre in Santa Fe.  Please join us and support Adam McKinney and the students of the New Mexico School for the Arts!

Announcing the Publication of Acting Together on the World Stage, Vol. 2

Acting Together on the World Stage (New Village Press) features a chapter by Daniel Banks about DNAWORKS/ Hip Hop Theatre Initiative's work in Ghana and South Africa. You can learn more about the book or purchase a copy here.

Everything Helps

A New Year means new opportunities to support DNAWORKS.  Please visit our donations page to make your tax-deductible donation to DNAWORKS. We use your generous donations to tour HaMapah/The Map, a multi-media, genealogical, dance journey that tells the story of Adam McKinney's Ashkenazi, Sephardic, African American, and Native American heritages. We are in the process of bringing HaMapah/The Map to Los Angeles, Saratoga Springs, NY, Atlanta. Milwaukee, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and the UK. We need your help to underwrite the costs of production so that these cities can experience art and dialogue about heritage, identity, and ancestry, critical topics in our society today.  Thank you for your continued support of DNAWORKS!

Welcome to the updated and expanded DNAWORKS website!

Here you will find information about our recent programs and our touring production of HaMapah/The Map, as well as Press and Publications. 

HaMapah/The Map a hit at Rhodes College, Memphis

We just received these testimonials.  Wow!  Thank you, Rhodes!
Adam and Daniel

"Breath taking. Moving. Powerful. The positively best performance I have seen since moving to Memphis!"

- Rhodes Faculty Member

"HaMapah took my breath away. I could not speak right after the performance. I wanted to sit in silence with my thoughts and feelings."

- Patron of McCoy Theatre

"I have never seen anything like it before. It is a new way to tell a story…for me to hear and see a story!"

- Rhodes Student

"On September 9, 2011, McCoy Theatre had the honor of hosting HaMapah. The incredible performance took us on a journey that was not only moving and powerful, but gave us all a sense of hope. The discussion and workshops that followed opened doors for individuals who believed they had no voice, connected individuals who believed they were different and separate from others, and for a brief moment united all present in the awareness of what we could be—what we could do.

This team is so important right now! Uniting our histories, our stories, our humanity; allowing us the ability to actually connect and discover how to truly give and take. These two artists give me hope!”

- Cookie Ewing, Artistic Director, McCoy Theatre