Black Arts Matter Festival

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Nicol Biesek

Chika

Black Arts Matter Festival aims to provide a platform for Black art and voices and create a community around interdisciplinary Black art and artistry. The third annual festival will feature more than 40 poets from around the country competing in a three-day poetry slam. Preliminary rounds took place on March 23, the semifinals are at 7:30 p.m. on March 24, and finals at 6:30 p.m. on March 25; the full list of slam poets and featured performers can be found at blackartsmatterfestival.org. The BAM Festival culminates on March 26 with a pair of events; at 2 p.m., “Body Politics” features the debut performance of the one-person show “Full of Herself” by Shasparay (a performing artist, slam poet, UW-Madison alumna, and the festival's founder), followed by a panel discussion led by UW assistant professor Sami Schalk; and just announced on Tuesday, rapper Chika will play a festival-closing set (NOTE: This performance was canceled on March 26). Find tickets for the other festival events at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

March 26 update: The Black Arts Matter Festival event featuring rapper CHIKA scheduled for March 26 at 8 p.m. at Memorial Union has been canceled. The Wisconsin Union Theater team appreciates patrons’ understanding and is grateful to festival artists and to everyone who attended the Black Arts Matter Festival events.

media release: While studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, slam poet and interdisciplinary artist Shasparay ‘20 saw that Black arts had not been given the attention or platform that it deserved in Madison, Wis., and became determined to help change that. Her talent, hard work and passion led to the creation of the interdisciplinary arts event series the Black Arts Matter (BAM) Festival, which will return for its third year March 23-26, presented by BAM Festival Founder and Artistic Director Shasparay and the Wisconsin Union Theater.

Plans for the Festival, which will occur at Memorial Union, include a national poetry slam, a panel discussion, music and dance. Festival planners are offering tickets for each individual event as well as the option to purchase a poetry slam pass for all poetry slam rounds.

Tickets range in price depending on the event, from about $10-$50. The Theater team and Shasparay are making a limited number of three-day poetry slam passes available for sale through which patrons can experience all three days of the slam at a discounted rate. Patrons are also eligible for an early bird discount on poetry slam all-session passes, if they purchase tickets by March 7. In addition, UW–Madison students can purchase discounted tickets for some BAM Festival events.

The current BAM Festival schedule at Memorial Union includes the following events:

• Poetry Slam prelims, March 23, 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
• Poetry slam semi-finals, March 24, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
• Poetry slam finals, March 25, 6:30-10 p.m.
• “Body Politics”: One-person show called “Full of Herself” performed by Shasparay and panel discussion led by Dr. Sami Schalk, assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, on body policing, self-image, identity and the intersectionality with race, March 26, 2-4 p.m.
• Just announced on March 22: Joining the Black Arts Matter Festival lineup is GRAMMY-nominated rapper CHIKA, who will perform at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union on March 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this show are free, but the Wisconsin Union Theater team asks that patrons RSVP in advance here: https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/black-arts-matter-festival-chika/.

“We are unbelievably excited at how this year’s Black Arts Matter Festival is shaping up. Shasparay has helped curate an incredible line-up of poets for the poetry slam, and getting to see her in the role of performing artist in her one-person show is also going to be a highlight,” Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “The whole Festival is a don’t miss, so everybody should clear their calendars and spend all four days at the Memorial Union!” 

The Wisconsin Union Theater team holds performing arts events throughout the year in collaboration with the UW–Madison students-run Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee.

This series is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Brittingham Trust, the Evjue Foundation, the Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission, the Green Bay Packers Foundation, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association.

Those who would like to support efforts like this can give to the André De Shields Fund here; the Fund supports artistic projects and performances created, performed, designed, or produced by BIPOC and other people who are historically underrepresented on stages and in audiences.

For more information about the BAM Festival, click here. 

Competing Poets: K McClendon, Ephraim Nehemiah, Kelsey Daniels, McPherson, Don, Maya Write, LeChell "The Shootah" R. H., Toiryan Milligan, Ed Mabrey, Raja Freeman, Jahman Hill, Billy Tuggle, Xach Blunt, Rudy Francisco, Wayne Henry, Johnny “JJ” Jones/ JJLOVES2TEACH, T. S. Banks, Alpha, Black Chakra, Yaw Kyeremateng, Kelly Mays (Native Child), MasterPiece, Naudia J Williams, Durmerrick Ross, Kwyn, Davon Clark, Wesley Frazier-Keys, Grim Jackson, Steven Willis, Zuggie Tate, Kenneth Something, Chevon Guthrie, April Rochelle

Featured Performers: Craig Smith- COMEDIAN; Anya Knees- DRAG PERFORMER; Zawadi Carroll -SINGER; Synovia Knox -SINGER; Badgerettes- Dance; Shasparay- One Woman Show; QUEEN SHEBA- DJ