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Expanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment Reflecting on our enduring commitment to equality, justice, and freedom at Mason, the College actively listened and created opportunities for Black voices to be lifted up and celebrated throughout the year. One such opportunity was a new speaker series, The Artist-Activist: Centering Black Voices. Nationally renowned artists spoke about the essential intersection between the creative sector and social justice movements, providing an opportunity for Mason students, faculty, and staff, as well as the greater community, to engage in dialogue around creative process, activism, and racism. Curated by a panel of antiracist Mason educators, the conversations were free, open to the public, and streamed online as part of Mason Arts at Home and Hylton at Home. The Film and Video Studies program expanded its ongoing commitment to diverse and inclusive storytelling with the Visiting Filmmakers Series Online. This long-running curated series is helmed and directed by Cynthia Fuchs, also the interim director of the Film and Video Studies program. During both semesters, the series centered around the Black Lives Matter global movement, with directors, filmmakers, writers, and performers sharing their work and insights with Mason students.
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“ O UR ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING CAN—AND SHOULD— INSPIRE US TO THINK DEEPLY ABOUT OURSELVES AND OUR SOCIETY.” ADRIENNE BRYANT GODWIN, Director of Programming, CVPA
The Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music utilized its collective efforts and creative energy to shed light on the talents of historically underrepresented voices. The School established a monthly educational series that included masterclasses and roundtable discussions highlighting Black musicians and their contributions. Additionally, in an exciting collaboration between the Center for the Arts and the Mason community, three students from the School of Dance partnered with world-renowned choreographer Rafael Palacios— director of Colombian company Sankofa Danzafro—to explore, express, and share their experiences as Black women through movement. This collaboration, the Black Voices Project, resulted in three world premiere dance-films presented as part of Mason Arts at Home, and OL was supported by faculty and staff from IV IA across CVPA.
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The Visiting Filmmakers Series Online brought leading creative voices to Mason in the digital space
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E L I S S A B LO U N T M O O R H E A D Photos on opposite page and top of this page by Samantha Beach Sinagra CVPA 2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT 7
