Civic Space Park Kicks Off Weekly Arts and Culture Series Jan. 10

 > Civic Space Park Kicks Off Weekly Arts and Culture Series Jan. 10

Jan. 8, 2013

Parks Mission Graphic for WebThe award-winning Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix will host a weekly arts and culture series that will feature film and documentary screenings, author and poet readings, performances and more. The Civic Space Community Connections series will kick off Jan. 10 and will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each Thursday evening, though times for specific events may vary slightly. 

Admission for all events, which will be held in the park’s historic A.E. England Building, will be free or very low cost. The park is at 424 N. Central Ave. in downtown Phoenix.

The kickoff event Jan. 10 will feature a free screening of a community cinema film called “Soul Food Junkies,” by award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt, presented in partnership with PBS and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. After the film, panelists will discuss the history of soul food and how it fits into our lives today. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The rest of the January events are:

  • Jan 17, New Carpa Theater Company, "Noche de Drama" script in hand readings from Latino(a) short plays and excerpts
    (CANCELLED DUE TO PERFORMER ILLNESS)
  • Jan 24, Screening of PBS documentary “The Abolitionists, Part One”
  • Jan 31, Screening of PBS documentary “The Abolitionists, Part Two“

In Soul Food Junkies, Hurt sets out on a historical and culinary journey to learn more about the soul food tradition and its relevance to black cultural identity.

Through interviews with soul food cooks, historians, and scholars, as well as with doctors, family members, and everyday people, the film puts this culinary tradition under the microscope to examine both its positive and negative consequences. Hurt also explores the socioeconomic conditions in predominantly black neighborhoods, where it can be difficult to find healthy options, and meets some pioneers in the emerging food justice movement who are challenging the food industry, encouraging communities to “go back to the land” by creating sustainable and eco-friendly gardens, advocating for healthier options in local supermarkets, supporting local farmers' markets, avoiding highly processed fast foods, and cooking healthier versions of traditional soul food.

More information Civic Space Park is available on the park's website.  

Media Contact:

David Urbinato 602-262-4994