Media ADvisory
First Look at Weekend Sessions on Black Creativity in Storytelling, Culinary Arts, and Sports Entertainment
Saturday and Sunday performances and conversations curated by critically acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates include Kerry Washington, Dr. Yaba Blay, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Bisa Butler, Jelani Cobb, Ghetto Gastro, Jordan E. Cooper, Radha Blank, Kamasi Washington and more
WHAT
The Apollo today announced Saturday and Sunday sessions for [at] The Intersection, The Apollo’s festival of Arts and Ideas. The three-day event, October 6 – October 8, curated by critically-acclaimed thinker and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, will bring together Black artists, intellectuals, creators and cultural movers who are shifting the landscape in music, theater, film, television, food, and more to explore the incredible range of Black creativity shaping our world. The Friday lineup, additional panelists and performers, and further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition to the panels and talks, attendees will have unique opportunities to network with “Between the Talks” programs and enjoy curated performances from emerging and legendary artists. Single day tickets and festival passes are available for purchase at www.apollotheater.org
WHO
Saturday panelists and performers:
Sage Adams, Radha Blank, Bisa Butler, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Barry Jenkins, Chelsea Miller, Terence Nance, Dr. Fahamu Pecou, Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin and Kamasi Washington. More to be announced.
Sunday panelists and performers:
Dr. Yaba Blay, Ted Bunch, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jelani Cobb, Jordan E. Cooper, Ghetto Gastro, Carla Hall, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Michael Harriot, Stefon Harris, Jemele Hill, Michael R. Jackson, Marlon James, Bomani Jones, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Dominique Morisseau, Millie Peartree, Stephen Satterfield, Salamishah Tillet, Scheherazade Tillet, Liesl Tommy, and Kerry Washington
Saturday sessions include:
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- Academy award-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins in conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates about maintaining authenticity in storytelling, how cultural and creative agency manifests in Jenkins’ art making, and what stories he wants to tell next.
- Gender non-conforming artist, curator, and creative director, Sage Adams’ presentation on intentional creation.
- A panel discussion about reclaiming identity, upholding history and elevating Blackness in visual culture with Bisa Butler, Dr. Fahamu Pecou, and Halima Taha.
- Award-winning artist and thought leader, Bridgit Antoinette Evans presentation on Black Futures.
- Grammy and Emmy-nominated multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Kamasi Washington’s special performance.
Sunday sessions include:
- Emmy award-winning producer, actor, and author Kerry Washington in conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates about her upcoming memoir, Thicker Than Water. For more information on Thicker Than Water, visit www.KerryWashingtonBook.com.
- Sports journalists Jemele Hill and Bomani Jones as they discuss the prominence of Black athletes in 21st Century sports entertainment.
- A panel discussion about the historical context of erasure in the age of anti-woke culture with Dr. Yaba Blay, Michael Harriot, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.
- Theater heavy hitters Jordan E. Cooper, Michael R. Jackson, Dominique Morisseau and Liesl Tommy panel discussion about telling new stories on Broadway.
- Breaking Bread, an exploration of Black food as culinary delight, cultural memory and communal empowerment with food writer and producer, Stephen Satterfield, chef and television host Carla Hall and Bronx-based collective, Ghetto Gastro.
Friday lineup and more sessions to be announced. Please visit www.apollotheater.org for the developing schedule.
WHEN
Friday, October 6: Schedule and events to be announced.
Saturday, October 7: 11:00AM – 7:00PM
Sunday, October 8: 12:00PM – 7:00PM
WHERE
The Apollo’s Historic Theater and Soundstage
(253 W. 125th Street between Frederick Douglass Blvd. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.)
TICKETS
[at] The Intersection tickets and festival passes are available for purchase at www.apollotheater.org.
VIP Festival Passes begin at $250 offering premium entrance, preferred seating, discounts on food and beverages, and admission to all daytime panel discussions, lectures, performances, screenings, and workshops Friday- Sunday. General Admission Full Festival Passes begin at $180. Single day tickets and discounts to Harlem residents, students, business owners and employees are also available.
About Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer, currently holding the Sterling Brown Chair in the Department of English at Howard University. He is the author of the bestselling books The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, The Water Dancer, and Between the World and Me. He is a recipient of a National Magazine Award, a National Book Award and a MacArthur Fellowship.
About The Apollo’s Artist-in-Residence Program
Apollo’s Artist-in-Residence program is a three-year initiative that deepens the Apollo’s relationship with a prominent, influential artist whose work aligns with the Apollo’s mission as a beacon of Black culture and catalyst for artistic production for the Harlem community and around the world.
About the Apollo
The legendary Apollo—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists and launching legends. Since its founding, The Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world. In 2023, The Apollo will open The Apollo’s Victoria Theaters, which will include two new theater spaces, and begin the renovation of its Historic Theater, marking the first ever expansion and renovation of The Apollo in its nearly 90-year history. Read more about the project here: www.apollotheater.org/renovation-restoration-and-transformation/
With music at its core, The Apollo’s programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes the world premieres of The Blues and Its People and the theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me, and the New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved; special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo; 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella; and the annual Africa Now! Festival. The non-profit Apollo is a performing arts presenter, commissioner, and collaborator that also produces festivals, large-scale dance and musical works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend The Apollo’s legacy through a contemporary lens, including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival as well as other multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.
Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, The Apollo has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres—including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at The Apollo are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miri Ben Ari; and The Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information about The Apollo, visit www.ApolloTheater.org.
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Press Contacts
For more information, please contact:
Sydney Edwards
The Apollo
[email protected]