Fall Arts & Cultural Public Policy Forum

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica College Public Policy Institute (PPI) will present its Fall Arts and Cultural Affairs Forum November 13 - December 2. The theme for this year’s community forum is “There Goes the Neighborhood: Gentrification in the Context of Latinx, Queer Spaces, and Social Justice.”

The PPI Fall Arts and Cultural Affairs Forum will feature screenings of cutting-edge new television programming, and performances that highlight the importance of the visual and performing arts in — and to — society, how expression through the arts can influence ideas and change perceptions, and how community advocacy can make change happen. Forum events also include dance performances for audiences ranging from fifth graders to adults. All forum events are open to the public, and most events are free. Seating is on a first-arrival basis if reservations are not required.

“Our forum will explore how art can shed light on important issues in our society and inspire engagement and advocacy leading to changes in public policies and laws,” said PPI co-director and SMC political science professor Dr. Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein.

The 2018 PPI Fall Arts and Cultural Affairs Forum events include:

• Tuesday, November 13-Thursday, November 15: Examination of Gentrification Through Screenings and Discussions of STARZ Series “Vida”:

  • Tuesday, November 13, 11 a.m.: Kickoff with Mariachi Corazón de Mexico. All-female mariachi troupe opens this year’s Fall Arts and Cultural Affairs Forum with a short performance of invigorating music. Free. SMC Quad on SMC’s main campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

  • Tuesday, November 13, 11:40 a.m.: Introduction by Dr. Yamissette Westerband, and screening of the series premiere of “Vida,” the STARZ drama series about two very different Mexican-American sisters from East Los Angeles. Dr. Westerband, an assistant professor of Women’s Studies at SMC, has taught at multiple institutions in multiple disciplines, including UCLA Gender Studies, CSU Dominguez Hills Social Work, CSU Fullerton Chicana/o Studies, and Santa Ana College and Compton College Women’s Studies. Free. Art 214 on SMC’s main campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

  • Tuesday, November 13, 6 p.m.: STARZ “Vida” Viewing Party #1 opens with a Pizza Social, followed by screenings of “Vida” Episodes 1-3. Free. Art Complex Courtyard and Art 214 on SMC’s main campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

  • Wednesday, November 14, 4 p.m.: STARZ “Vida” Viewing Party #2 opens with a Pizza Social, followed by screenings of “Vida” Episodes 4-6. Free. Art Complex Courtyard and Art 214 on SMC’s main campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

  • Thursday, November 15, 11:15 a.m.: Dr. Yamissette Westerband leads a panel discussion to examine themes from “Vida.” Free. Main Stage at SMC Theatre Arts Complex on SMC’s main campus (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).

• Saturday, November 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 18, at 7 p.m.: Guerrilla Theatre at Santa Monica College. Award-winning guerrilla theater troupe Imagination Liberation Front (ILF) performs a secret, hilarious, political, and provocative play in a secret location. The secrecy starts even before the event, with instructions for ‘all audience’ to call the ‘ILF’s secure hotline’ for reservations and secret destination details at (209) 375-0411. Free, but reservations are required. Santa Monica location revealed upon RSVP.

• Monday, November 19, at 3 p.m.: Jonas Oppenheim, Playwright and Political Activist: “Theater and Landlords: The Strangest of Bedfellows?” A hands-on, collaborative workshop with award-winning theater director Jonas Oppenheim and Landlords of America president Martin W. Dorn exploring an innovative partnership for arts funding. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is underwriting this unprecedented partnership in the inaugural year of the “Here Comes the Neighborhood” Initiative. The session leaders will share techniques and tactics for creating theater that brings messages of goodwill to residents of neighborhoods experiencing gentrification. Free. The Edye at the SMC Performing Arts Center (1310 11th Street, Santa Monica).

• November 24-December 2: Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” Ballet. The Westside Ballet, joined by the SMC Symphony and SMC dancers, presents its annual holiday extravaganza featuring Tchaikovsky’s majestic score, Balanchine’s exuberant choreography, falling snow, and a Christmas tree that grows. See westsideballet.com for performance times and ticket details. The Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center (1310 11th Street, Santa Monica). Free onsite parking.

“For this year’s forum, we are presenting a wide range of events to highlight how the arts reflect struggles in society,” said SMC Public Policy Institute co-director Shari Davis, “and to engage in substantive dialogue about how the issues around women, gender, and power affect us all, and explore how public policy might facilitate positive changes.”

The SMC Public Policy Institute provides nonpartisan community programs exploring key economic, social, and political issues. SMC offers an Associate in Arts Degree and Certificate of Achievement in Public Policy, and students can specialize in one of five public policy areas: arts and cultural affairs, education, environment and sustainability, public health, and urban/socioeconomic issues.

The Fall Arts and Cultural Affairs Forum is cosponsored by a wide range of education, government, and community organizations and donors, including: Associated Students of Santa Monica College, SMC Associates, Santa Monica College Foundation, Westside School of Ballet, SMC Dance Department, SMC Symphony Orchestra, SMC Music Department, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation, and The Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center.

More information about the Fall Arts and Cultural Affairs Forum can be found at www.smc.edu/ppi or by calling (310) 434-3541.

# # # #