"This [FIPPP] has been a gift. A gift of how I feel, about what I'm afraid of - it's ok." - Pearl Louise
We are seeking formerly incarcerated people to be part of our project to develop and perform their stories. The goal is to approach the causes and impacts of incarceration from the viewpoint of those who have been incarcerated or have been impacted by the system. Our rehearsal process will begin in early 2022 and culminate with workshops of solo performances at PianoFight Oakland in May 2022.
Director Mark Kenward, assisted by directors Rebecca Fisher and Wayne Harris, will lead this project. Each performer will develop either a short (10-to-20 minutes) or full-length (40-to-60 minutes) piece in a collaborative workshop in the months leading up to the live performance. Our hope is to shed insight on the reality and impact of incarceration – the toll it takes, the compassion it evokes and requires, what people don’t understand about it.
FIPPP provides formerly incarcerated performers, and others impacted by the justice system, the opportunity to develop and perform stories about their life experiences. Hearing stories from those who have been incarcerated fosters compassion and understanding about the circumstances and choices that led them to incarceration, what they endured and learned inside and the hard-won success of their lives after incarceration. Their stories give hope for the human condition and our ability to reform and reinvent ourselves, as well as giving us the opportunity as a society to reconsider the inhumane conditions that prisoners often endure.
FIPPP supports each performer through:
· An ongoing development process led by professional theater directors.
· Group meetings to support the artistic development of the work as well as to foster a sense of community and mutual support.
· Private sessions with professional directors so that the work can reach its fullest potential.
· Performance opportunities, including work-in-progress showcases and multi-week festivals, so that these important stories can make an impact.
· Training about how to produce their own work, and outreach efforts to other venues (inc. theaters, community/activist groups, schools, conferences, etc.), so that the work may make a wider impact.
. We provide a $1000 stipend for each performer who completes this phase of the project, to compensate them for the time and travel they put into the project.
· A robust video program that documents rehearsals and performances, so that the work can reach people around the world.
Questions? Please reach out to our co-director Wayne Harris at mark@markkenward.com
Director Mark Kenward, assisted by directors Rebecca Fisher and Wayne Harris, will lead this project. Each performer will develop either a short (10-to-20 minutes) or full-length (40-to-60 minutes) piece in a collaborative workshop in the months leading up to the live performance. Our hope is to shed insight on the reality and impact of incarceration – the toll it takes, the compassion it evokes and requires, what people don’t understand about it.
FIPPP provides formerly incarcerated performers, and others impacted by the justice system, the opportunity to develop and perform stories about their life experiences. Hearing stories from those who have been incarcerated fosters compassion and understanding about the circumstances and choices that led them to incarceration, what they endured and learned inside and the hard-won success of their lives after incarceration. Their stories give hope for the human condition and our ability to reform and reinvent ourselves, as well as giving us the opportunity as a society to reconsider the inhumane conditions that prisoners often endure.
FIPPP supports each performer through:
· An ongoing development process led by professional theater directors.
· Group meetings to support the artistic development of the work as well as to foster a sense of community and mutual support.
· Private sessions with professional directors so that the work can reach its fullest potential.
· Performance opportunities, including work-in-progress showcases and multi-week festivals, so that these important stories can make an impact.
· Training about how to produce their own work, and outreach efforts to other venues (inc. theaters, community/activist groups, schools, conferences, etc.), so that the work may make a wider impact.
. We provide a $1000 stipend for each performer who completes this phase of the project, to compensate them for the time and travel they put into the project.
· A robust video program that documents rehearsals and performances, so that the work can reach people around the world.
Questions? Please reach out to our co-director Wayne Harris at mark@markkenward.com
Interested in joining the FIPPP family? We are accepting applications through December 20, 2021. Click on the link below. Give us your information and let us know a little about your experience and interest and we'll be in touch!
"Hearing the voices of formerly incarcerated individuals is a must. The overall impact will continue to chip away at the inhumane injustices of the incarcerated and broader community. It is time, and society as a whole benefits." - Freddy Lee Johnson
