UCSC Chinese Student Association Hosts 35th Annual Lunar New Year Banquet
A year ago the circular tables of the Porter dining hall at UC Santa Cruz were piled high with food, the room transformed with red streamers and decorations, and the stage hopped with student performers. This year the cafeteria tables continued to collect dust and…
African American Theater Arts Troupe Presents 30th Anniversary Gala
African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT) founder and director Don Williams wore a proud smile on Feb. 20 as one of his students, August Stevens, softly strummed her guitar singing “A Change Is Gonna Come,” written by Sam Cook in 1964 in support of the…
Rainbow Theatre: Telling Multicultural Stories Since 1993
When she was 15 years old, Kayla Ybarra sat down at the Pasadena Playhouse to watch Real Women Have Curves, which follows a Latinx young woman torn between staying home to help her family or going away to college. When Ybarra left her own family…
THEA 151A Brings AATAT from the Stage to the Classroom
Without compensation, credit, or attention from the university, the future of the African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT) was uncertain when it was founded in 1991. Now, 30 years later, AATAT is at the forefront of theater arts at UC Santa Cruz, as both an…
AATAT Explores the Importance of Black Theatre in Upcoming Workshop: ‘Does Black Theater Matter?’
“Does Black theater matter?” For decades the African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT) at UC Santa Cruz has elevated and centered Black roles in the arts. It serves as a springboard for generations of Black alum and students who vie for the opportunity to answer…
Don Williams: How the Movement for Black Theater Came to UCSC 30 Years Ago
Without the talents and efforts of Don Williams, an entire generation of artists may never have had the opportunity to discover and voice their talents. Starting from a young age, Williams’ love of theater sparked a career in creating inclusive and uplifting spaces for Black…
Skate Like a Girl Fosters Inclusive Skate Community
Walking into a skatepark, you will see skaters ripping around the bowl, speeding down ramps, and ollieing in the air. You will feel gusts of wind as skaters whiz past and hear the constant clack of wheels hitting the pavement. Take a closer look and…
‘Prisons and Poetics’ Conversation Highlights Importance of Arts in Understanding the Push for Prison Abolition
Poetry is about understanding the past, recognizing where we are now, and re-imagining the future. “It really is poetry and art that takes us to another place,” said UC Santa Cruz social psychology professor Craig Haney, “and in this criminal justice system,…another place is exactly…
Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center Celebrates 10 Years
The Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center (TWDCC) is going into its 10th year as a space where artists can explore their talents and become mentors. Over the years, professional dancers Cat Willis and Micha Scott worked on uplifting Santa Cruz’s Black, Indigenous, and People…
Portraits in Protest: Santa Cruz Artist Zendrea Marshall Paints 100 Black Activists
As a wave of Black Lives Matter protests flooded through the summer of 2020, Santa Cruzan artist Zendrea Marshall watched from her studio as a revolution unfolded in the streets. Painting portraits is a protest for Marshall, much more than a regular side hustle or…