Healing from Racism Through The Arts:
A Spring 2024 Workshop Series
Elastic Arts, in partnership with Funkadesi and Strategic Inclusion Consulting, through a generous #HealingIllinois grant, is proud to present Healing Racism Through the Arts, an ambitious series of workshops and events aimed at facilitating inclusion through artistic practice while grappling with the realities of racism and its impacts, and forging a collective way forward.
All workshops are FREE, and the May 11th event is free for workshop participants.
Click each event below for a more detailed rundown of each component of the series.
May 11 1-4pm
Celebratory Concert: Funkadesi w/ Community Drum Circle & Elastic Arts Dark Matter Residents
Late May (TBA)
Community Concert: Funkadesi with Elastic Arts Dark Matter Residents & Feature Guests - More Info TBA
The two experiential 3-hour workshops (4.6 and 4.20) will be led by Dr. Rahul Sharma & The Rhythm Ambassadors of Funkadesi, combining multicultural drumming (no talent required!), self-reflection, & facilitated dialogue. The Storytelling & Spoken Word workshop (April 13) will be led by Emily Hooper Lansana and Dr. Rahul Sharma, and will provide participants with activities to share in both written and verbal form.
Participants in any of these workshops will have FREE admission to the Celebratory Concert & Drum Circle on May 11, featuring Funkadesi & more.
Also, stay tuned for a pop-up community celebration in late May/early June! Details TBD.
April 6 + 20 Registration HERE
April 13 Registration HERE
May 11 Tickets / Registration Here
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
Dr. Rahul Sharma is a psychologist, consultant & trainer. He is founder of Strategic Inclusion Consulting, providing Leadership, Wellness, DEI Strategy, Conflict Resolution, and Emotional Intelligence consulting, coaching, & training. He is also founder & bassist/sitarist for intercultural award-winning music group Funkadesi (a 10-member band that is comprised of diverse members (Indian-American, African-American, Jamaican, Latino, and European American) who are musicians, activists, educators, and healers). Rahul is former Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at ISPP where he chaired its Diversity Concentration for 13 years. He is passionate about experiential learning that centers healing through joy, connection, and heart-centered dialogue. In January, Rahul delivered keynote addresses along with Funkadesi for students, faculty and administration for MLK Day at Latin School of Chicago on “Art, Action, and Cultivating Belonging.”
For this session, Rahul is joined by Funkadesi’s Rhythm Ambassadors:
Kwame Steve Cobb is a drumkit and djembe player who has accompanied Lou Rawls, Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Turrentine, Anita Baker, Roy Ayers, & more. He works closely with youth in workshops and seminars, sharing unique insights into music’s impact on the social, economic and political lives of our communities. Recently, Kwame has received certification as a trauma-informed educator & facilitator.
Carlos Antonio Cornier has studied and performed many Latin rhythmic traditions, and has been a member of the all-percussion ensemble, Primal Connection, Sabu and Picante. He is an award-winning documentary film-maker. Carlos also is a gifted educator on Latin/Caribbean drumming, and has been a resident instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music for over 30 years.
Rich Conti is a musician, photographer, wood artisan who has retired from a long 40 year career as a physical therapist for children and adults with disabilities. He received a degree in Music Therapy at SUNY at Fredonia, studied at Bloom School of Jazz, & travels to Brazil frequently to study percussion.
Maninderpal Singh has studied tabla, dhol, & a variety of instruments for over two decades. He is a much sought after musician and producer, briding Indian rhythmic traditions to a vareity of settings. As a seeker, Arhatic yogi, musician, digital artist, empath, & tech geek, Maninder’s music is part of his evolution of creative expression. He has created his own record label, IO Records.
Emily Hooper Lansana is a community builder. For more than thirty years, she has performed as a storyteller, sharing her work with audiences throughout Chicago and across the country. She has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival, the National Association of Black Storytellers Festival, and at a variety of museums, colleges and performance venues. She often performs with Performance Duo: In the Spirit. Her work seeks to give voice to those whose stories are often untold, especially those of the African diaspora.
She serves as Senior Director of Programming and Engagement at the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. She teaches storytelling in a variety of venues from universities to community centers.
She is honored to be a 2021 3Arts Award recipient.