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Black Arts Matter Festival

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November 8 - November 12, 2023

Location: Memorial Union
Cost: Varies
Categories: MusicArtSpoken Word
Presented by Black Arts Matter and the Wisconsin Union Theater

Black Arts Matter (BAM) Festival is an interdisciplinary arts festival dedicated to building community around Black artistry. We enjoyed the 2023 Black Arts Matter Festival, which included an art exhibit by illustrator Mawhyah (presented by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee), an all-star poetry slam featuring some of today's top poets, a headliner concert by R&B band Tank and the Bangas and more! Check back for more info about future Black Arts Matter Festival events.

November 8 - November 12, 2023

Location: Memorial Union
Cost: Varies
Categories: MusicArtSpoken Word

All venues used in the Wisconsin Union buildings are ADA-accessible. If you have specific accommodation needs, please Request Accommodation.

 

About Founder and Artistic Director, Shasparay

Shasparay (she/they) is a Black, fat and queer performing artist who is the Founder and Artistic Director of the annual Black Arts Matter Festival and was the 2022 4th Ranked Woman Slam Poet in the World (W.O.W.P.S). Recently featured in the New York Times, Shasparay completed a Masters in Arts Administration at the Wisconsin School of Business Bolz Center and holds a B.S. in Theatre from UW-Madison. She was a recipient of the First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Full Tuition Scholarship, a speaker at the 2016 TEDxYouth Austin conference, and is a National NAACP ACT-SO Gold Medalist. Shasparay has been a finalist in national and regional slam competitions such as Women of the World Poetry Slam, Stone Wall International Poetry Slam, Southern Fried Poetry Slam, Texas Grand Slam, and is a two-time Lip Stick Wars Poetry Slam Champion. She has been featured on platforms such as Button Poetry, Huffington Post, Youth Speaks, Buzzfeed and is a cast member of the award-winning horror anthology podcast Old Gods of Appalachia.

 

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