ROOTS Weekend-New Market/Knoxville – June 23-26, 2016 – was the third of six regional gatherings that Alternate ROOTS convened throughout the South from 2015-2017. As we celebrated our 40th year, this event brought us back to our birthplace, the Highlander Research and Education Center, where our founders – young, justice-minded Southern artists shaped by the social movements of their time – first met in 1976. In honor of this legacy, ROOTS Weekend-New Market/Knoxville was focused on Youth Justice. Throughout the three day gathering, we lifted up the ways young people across the South are contributing to their communities through arts and activism.
ROOTS Weekends are a condensed version of ROOTS Week, our signature gathering. This series of convenings brings artists, activists, and cultural organizers together to build community through workshops, dialogues, visual arts, and performances. ROOTS Weekends deepen our collective understanding of the work of social change by celebrating artists and organizers who are working within communities to develop creative solutions to long-standing issues.
Alternate ROOTS was excited to host a gathering at our birthplace during our anniversary year, and worked closely with local organizers and artists to produce this event.
ROOTS Weekend in Knoxville, TN Schedule
A variety of art making workshops – including dance and visual arts – will be offered throughout the weekend.
Thursday, June 23, 2016, Highlander Center | 1959 Highlander Way, New Market, TN 37820
4-6 pm: Arrival & Check In
6 pm: Dinner
7-10 pm: Welcome Reception
Who We Are: Alternate ROOTS
Who We are: Participants
How We Are With Each Other
Film Screening: Highlander History
Poetry Performance: Traja Petty
Friday, June 24, 2016, The Carpetbag Theatre | 1323 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917
9am-5pm YOUTH THEATRE FESTIVAL
Below are just two of the highlights from Carpetbag’s Youth Theatre Festival. A full listing of performances and workshops will be available on the day of.
Drum Sermons, Orisirisi African Folklore
Love Is the Answer, DUeX Dream Team and Stewards of the Earth
6-7 pm: Dinner @ Highlander
8-10pm: Evening Performances @ Highlander
Performance: PG-13 Players
Message. Loud. & Clear: Fountain City Slam
Saturday, June 25, 2016, Highlander Center | 1959 Highlander Way, New Market, TN 37820
9-10:30am: Concurrent Sessions
“conNECKted”: Pamella Gibbs & Gwylene Gallimard
Teen Media Literacy: The Artizen Company’s StepStone Arts
10:30 am-12 pm: Intergenerational Conversation & Tree Planting
12-1 pm: Lunch
1-2 pm: Break
2-3:30 pm: Youth Led Sessions
Our participating youth organizations have been invited to share their work around art and activism. Please see the insert for more details.
3:30-4 pm: Break
4-5:30 pm: Self-Curated Sessions
Any participant is invited to self-curate a session to showcase a work of art, a special skill, or host a conversation about issues that are important to you. Over the course of the weekend, we’ll offer instructions on how to curate your own session.
6-7 pm: Dinner
7-7:30 pm: Break
7:30 pm: Evening Performances
LOUD: New Orleans Queer Youth Theater
9-10: Late Night: Youth Edition Cypher with King Shakur and South Dallas Cultural Center
Sunday, June 26, 2016, Highlander Center | 1959 Highlander Way, New Market, TN 37820
9-10:30 am: Morning Sessions
Creative Aural History Workshop, DJ Oja
11 am-1 pm: Closing Session
1-2 pm: Lunch
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The ROOTS Weekend Series is made possible by the generous support of
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.