Spoken words have power – to spread ideas, create new thoughts, spin up ideas, or even just amuse or entertain. They are the OG medium of communication, artistic expression and journalism.To recognize the practitioners of art forms such as spoken word, storytelling and stand-up comedy, Motif is embarking on a new kind of awards show […]
Funda is a Zulu word meaning “to learn.” This month, the Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) are hoping you learn about the art of storytelling in all forms and have fun doing it. Their annual Funda Fest is celebrating its 25th year, as well as their return to live performances, rather than the online version […]
Performance cancellations, while necessary, are having a very real impact on the income of local artists. On this page, we’ll compile a list of resources and fun stuff to help artists connect, support each other and express themselves. To add to this list, email news@motifri.com Find a list of free resources, opportunities and financial relief […]
This year saw a number of records broken at the Motif Theater Awards. The number of voters was the most yet, with 4,565 readers weighing in on their favorite performers and performances. The event filled McVinney, the 728-seat auditorium in downtown PVD, with a spirit of cheering camaraderie that carried through the entire night. You […]
“All the world is a Sweet Little Variety Show and all of our LBGTQ friendly humans merely feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, body positive players in a cabaret,” to paraphrase William Shakespeare. Aurora in DownCity PVD demonstrates their commitment to diversity and acceptance as host venue for the Sweet Little Variety Show, one of the biggest hits […]
Providence activist, artist, poet and musician Jared Paul has never been a stranger to radical political thought. He also has been a huge advocate for the rights of all, including animals. On Tuesday, April 19, at Ada Books on Westminster Street in Providence, Paul will be putting on a celebration ringing in his 19th year of […]
In my experience, all too often someone will put their best efforts toward a book of poems only to fall short. Even with the best of intentions, they may pave their own road to hell, taking along everyone they anxiously try to force feed their verse to. Even beyond mimes, poetry may still be the […]
It took me a bit of time to find a connection with Jeff Danielian’s first book of poetry, Seasonal Ramblings. As I read through the first section, “Through Time & Space,” I felt like I just was reading words on a page. There were a few interesting lines here and there (“Language is about the […]
Don’t tell me that the current generation of young people has fried its collective brain with too much screen time. Don’t tell me either that teenagers spend their days playing video games, eating Cheetos and wasting time while draining their minds of good old-fashioned creativity. Well, tell me if you must, but be ready for […]
It’s hard to describe just what’s going on when a Fluxus event takes place. We explored it in more depth with Shey Rivera, the organizer and instigator of this series of surreal experiences. At the Cock Fight edition, for example, there was the meditative, “What am I doing here,” experience of watching a woman in […]