Liberated Muse in 2010

(In photo: Liberated Muse members who attended the 1st Reader's With Attitude Author's Pavillion in Richmond, VA. l to r: Moon, RJ Johnson, Sharon Lawrence, Mahoganee, Serena Wills)


Thank you for spending 2010 with Liberated Muse. For those who have been with us since the site's inception in 2008, I want to extend a grateful thank you for your support.

Liberated Muse is a space for creative folk to engage. Since 2008, the site has been the home space for connections and opportunities, where dozens of artists have corresponded and networked to create work, promote events and share with their community. This year, some of our achievements included:

• Feb. 2010: The 1st To Haiti, With Love Benefit Concert to support the nonprofit Yele.org after the devastating earthquake which killed hundreds of thousands in the small island country. To this day, the effects of the earthquake have been tremendous. The "To Haiti With Love" concert featured artwork by visual artist CHOKE and performances by Dionne, Enoch 7th Prophet, Head-Roc, Quineice, Teisha Marie and Anonamas ft/The Bangladesh Project. Stay tuned for further benefit concerts to support Haiti in 2011.
• Feb. 2010: Liberated Muse was a featured site in the 2010 Music Podcast Consortium's Cupid's Hunt Podcast Collaboration which was founded by Liberated Muse member Todd Grundy.
• March 2010: Liberated Muse's Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman hosted the Author's Speak showcase at the 1st Reader's With Attitude Author's Pavillion in Richmond, VA. Several Liberated Muse members participated or attended, including writers Kevin Sabio, RJ Johnsonand Serena Wills, musician Afi Makalani, spoken word artist/rapper Sharon Lawrence and singer Mahoganee who was the featured musical act.
• May 2010: Liberated Muse's Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest served as a community partner for the highly successful AudioTrip event produced by Lil So So Productions.
• June 2010: Liberated Muse Productions presented the play "Running: AMOK" in 2010, presenting a preview of the play at Annie's Art Gallery which attracted a great turn-out and also featured a live concert featuring singers Dionne, Teisha Marie, Anonamas and Quineice who also starred in the 2010 season of Running: AMOK.
• July 2010: Running: AMOK debuted in the 5th Annual Capital Fringe Fest
• July 2010: Liberated Muse Productions presented the 3rd Annual Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest which featured numerous Liberated Muse members including Gods'illa, Substantial, Enoch 7th Prophet, Quineice, Anonamas, Colie Williams, and more.
• August 2010: Liberated Muse received a certificate of appreciation from the US Census Bureau for helping the Census Bureau in 2009 to reach citizens who had yet to complete their census form. The US Census Bureau was a 2009 sponsor of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest.
• October 2010: The Liberated Muse artist community re-launched after shutting down in August.
• November 2010: The Liberated Muse publication Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul was featured at the 2010 Black Age of Comics Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The Black Age of Comics Convention is founded by Liberated Muse member Turtel Onli.

We are looking forward to collaborating with you in 2011. We will be calling for artists to perform, writers and visual artists to contribute to upcoming online and print publications and patrons to attend our events, which include a Spring season of Running: AMOK, the return of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest and our monthly benefit concert series. We are always looking for volunteers, as well. Email us at LiberatedMuseProductions@gmail.com for more information on how to get involved!!

-Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman

FREE DOWNLOAD: Common Folk: Voices of a Movement Volume I (2010)

Movements of political change have always been driven by art and music. When an issue needs to be communicated to the masses, in a language that everyone understands, art is ultimately the quickest messenger.

Common Folk: Voices of a Movement (2010) was a 3 part concert series exploring & creating a new conversation on the topics of Health, Immigration and the Environment. It provided a platform and stage for musicians, poets, and speakers from around the country to address these issues through an open call for submissions. The concert series took place at Bus Boys and Poets in Washington, DC. The pieces in this compilation CD are drawn from both the live performances and also online submissions.

One Common Unity, the creator of this project, is a grassroots non-profit organization based in Washington, DC which for the past 10 years has been supporting a movement for peace education and the building of a non-violent culture through music and art.

Be sure to download for FREE this compilation CD which features Liberated Muse members Enoch 7th Prophet, Mahoganee and Princess of Controversy and Liberated Muse founder Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

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Night Catches Us In Theaters Now

The new movie "Night Catches Us", written by Tanya Hamilton, is set in 1970s Philadelphia. Writer Tanya Hamilton said she wanted to make a movie that was "doggedley African-American" and from the trailer and clips below, she has confidently succeeded, featuring a period of African-American history that is hardly ever seen focused on the Black Panther movement. The plot centers around a romance and coming-home story. After years away, an ex-black panther returns to his old neighborhood only to find himself drawn right back into the rivalries and love affair he left behind. The movie stars Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington and music by the hip-hop group The Roots.






Night Catches Us
Written and Directed by Tanya Hamilton
Starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce, Jamie Hector
Running time: 90 minutes
Rated R for language, some sexuality and violence.
Opened this month at West End Cinema.

Liberated Muse Member Diallo Sumbry Brings Kwanzaa to U Street

Liberated Muse member Diallo Sumbry is never at a loss for something to do. As manager of the nationally-acclaimed dance group The Beat Ya Feet Kings, manager of GRAMMY-nominated singer Maimouna Youssef and the afrocentric music group Farafina Kan, he is always on the move. This Sunday, through his company The Adinkra Group, Diallo will be co-presenting "Umoja on U" a Kwanzaa Celebration honoring the holiday of Kwanzaa as well as well-known DC community workers. Click HERE to read more.

JOB CREATION AND THE DISTRICT’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

Visual, Literary & Performance Artists, This is About Your Money!

“JOB CREATION AND THE DISTRICT’S CREATIVE ECONOMY”

Friday, December 17, 2010 - 10:00 a.m.
John A. Wilson Building – Council Chamber Room 500
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004
...
Councilmember Michael A, Brown, Chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Workforce Development, announces a public oversight roundtable on the creation of job in the District creative economic community. This roundtable continues the discussion on this important growth industry and its potential for substantial job creation and workforce development. The public oversight roundtable will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 17, 2010 in Council Chamber, Room 500, of the John A. Wilson Building.

Those who wish to testify should contact Drew Hubbard, Committee Director, at (202) 727-8230, or via e-mail at dhubbard@dccouncil.us and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any) by close of business Thursday, December 16, 2010. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony. Witnesses should limit their testimony to three minutes.

(Thanks to DC Advocates for the Arts for the intel)

Liberated Muse Member Events This Month:

Black Nativity @ H Street Playhouse, featuring Liberated Muse Member Pam Ward

December 8, 2010 at 8pm to January 2, 2011 at 10pm – H Street Playhouse

AlphaBitch, featuring Liberated Muse Member Princess of Controversy

December 16, 2010 at 8pm to December 19, 2010 at 8pm – Studio W

 

Hillyer Open Mic Event (HOME) Hosted by Fred Joiner-featuring Liberated Muse founder Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman

December 17, 2010 from 6pm to 9pm – Hillyer Art Space

 

Atlas Performing Arts Holiday Weekend Fest featuring Liberated Muse member Serena Wills

December 18, 2010 at 2pm to December 19, 2010 at 8pm – Atlas Performing Arts Center

Niko in "Soul Food Tuesdays", featuring artists represented by Liberated Muse Member Sonja

December 21, 2010 at 8pm to December 22, 2010 at 1am – B & L LOUNGE

 

Umoja on U: A Kwanzaa Celebration, featuring artists represented by Liberated Muse Member Diallo Sumbry

December 26, 2010 from 5pm to 9pm – The Lincoln Theatre

Do you have an event coming up?? Be sure to upload it in our Events calendar for FREE! Uploading your event makes it searchable via Google and garners a wide audience range that may extend outside of your regular fan base. Oh yeah, and it's free! Visit www.LiberatedMuse.com to upload your events, blogs, photos and videos. Invite your friends.

Liberated Muse Member Events Coming Up

December's here and Liberated Muse members (those who have profiles on the website www.LiberatedMuse.com and upload their events and other info to the system) have a bunch of things happening this month. Check some of it out:

DEC. 3 - 12: Liberated Muse member Pam Ward stars in Atlas Theater's production of "Swingtime". 

Written & Directed by Tom Mallan
Conceived in collaboration with Burnett Thompson
Music Director and Pianist Jean Baptiste

Fab songs from the Fabulous Forties tell Swingtime’s story of showbiz, war, discrimination and cultural identity. Cast: Vince Borrelli, W. Ellington Felton, Marshall Keys, Laura Lewis, Tammy Roberts, Alvaro Rodríguez, Pam Ward Click here for more details

DEC. 8: This show features the story of Liberated Muse member Melani N. Douglas and other DC residents in this community voice project. 

Click the flyer for more details.

DEC 17-20: What do a playground, a therapist’s office and a nightclub have in common?????? Join rapper, actress and every-woman Melissa "Princess" Best-Nichols aka Princess of Controversy to find out! Princess presents this one-woman show on womens’ thoughts, stories and and her own personal memoirs.

Click here for more details

DEC. 17: Liberated Muse founder Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman will be featured at this month's HOME @ Hillyer Art Space. Hillyer Open Mic Events occur on the third friday of every month, and feature a stunning array of the district's poetic talent. Feature poets perform work in a variety of styles and take the audience for a personal journey into their work. Host Fred Joiner delves even deeper in his post-performance interviews with feature performers, encouraging them to illuminate their personal histories, influences, and perspectives. The interviews allow for a heightened discourse which helps to unveil the mystery behind the words.
Click here for information.

Visit http://www.LiberatedMuse.com for more member events