Save the date: Dear Iola, Love, South LA
DESIGN BY EMMELY CACERES
You’re invited to save the date for a project I had the privilege of collaborating with. The project was spearheaded by my colleague in the Urban Humanities Initiative, Jacqueline Barrios. The project supported the creative process of a community of high school students in South LA with the guidance of WAC/D alumni Ana Maria Alvarez and d. Sabela grimes and myself. As a guest artist, I facilitated a workshop on bringing awareness to their bodies as an instrument to utilize for filmic sensing of their home of South LA. As a follow up, I guided them through essential editing tools and techniques. RSVP info below:
SAVE THE DATE
DEAR IOLA,
LOVE SOUTH LA
FEBRUARY 20th SATURDAY 3-5PM PT
8 EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS,
ONE FABULOUS FESTIVAL.
DESIGN BY EMMELY CACERES
DEAR IOLA, SOUTH LA
Sharing stories about precious South LA hubs under a pandemic, remembering an iconic skating rink as it faces permanent closure, speaking out against displacement and gentrification, exploring why #BLM is our fight-these are just some subjects students have taken on in eight short documentary films produced in the middle of a lock-down.
You are cordially invited to join us for the premiere screening of Dear Iola, Love South LA, a film festival produced by South LA teens, all inspired by their journey with the 19th century novel, Iola Leroy by Frances E. W. Harper, one of the most important African American woman activists of her period. Celebrate these powerful and poignant 21st translations of Harper's 19th century anti-racist book.
Now that I am well and strong,
I would like to do something of lasting service
for the race. - Iola Leroy
WWW.LOVESOUTHLA.ORG
This production culminates Dear Iola, Love South LA, this year's LitLab-an annual immersive study of the long form 19th century novel directed by Jacqueline Barrios for Foshay Learning Center seniors of the University of Southern California’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) program in their AP English classroom. This year's LitLab is a recipient of UCLA's Excellence in Pedagogy & Innovative Classrooms (EPIC) Teaching Innovation Grant, linking UCLA's English Department, the Urban Humanities Initiative (UHI) and long-time partner, Dickens Project, to the work. LitLabs bring intensives, guest lectures, artist visits and design partners in creating an interdisciplinary, urban-based learning public humanities project interested in imagining what it means to be a 21st century South LA urban teen reader of a 19th century novel.
For more details about our journey, collaborators and experiences studying and creating with Iola Leroy, please visit litlab.ucsc.edu.
