ELEVATE|Atlanta Contemporary

ELEVATE is thrilled to collaborate with France-Atlanta & Atlanta Contemporary to present “A Dance, Reunited.” A film screening will be followed by a panel discussion with artists and community leaders about the resurgence of the global arts community during the COVID-19 pandemic, concluding with a performance by Indya Childs.

Co-produced by HAU Hebbel am Ufer, the film Letters from the Continent was conceived and shot in May and June 2020 and features 21 artists from Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Maputo, Moroni, Tunis and other cities. Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reflects on how, for many people, there has always been some sort of crisis – a health, political or, above all, economic crisis – and how the handling of such a crisis can make people everyday heroes. The film “Letters from the Continent” is part of the Catalogue of Dance films 2021 conceived by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.

This event is organized by the Atlanta Office of the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France in the United States with the support of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, ELEVATE, Festival de Marseille, HAU Hebbel am Ufer and Atlanta Contemporary. Learn more about Elevate and festival events on the Elevate website.

Masks required inside the galleries and are optional outside.

Bios

Indya Childs

Indya Childs is a dancer and choreographer that hails from Atlanta, Ga. Indya began her dance training at Price Performing Arts Center and The Atlanta Ballet. Indya holds a B.A in Dance from Kennesaw State University and in 2015, was named ‘25 to Watch’ by Dance Magazine. She also attended the Hubbard Street Professional Program under the direction of Alexandra Wells. Indya danced professionally with Ballethnic Dance Company, T. Lang Dance, and Abby Z and The New Utility.
In 2020, Indya founded the Peace, Love, and Dance Project (PLD Project) in response to the many difficult events that were arising in the U.S. including the murders of Black Americans due to police brutality, the COVID-19 pandemic, performing artists out of work, and more.

The PLD Project aims to create a safe space for artists to create intentional work that brings awareness to important societal topics through conversation, dance, film, art, and more.

Cultural Services French Embassy in the United States

The Cultural Services are a division of the French Embassy in the United States. The Cultural Services were first imagined in the 1930’s by Paul Claudel. In 1945 General de Gaulle appointed Claude Lévi-Strauss as the first Cultural Counselor, with the mission of providing Americans (individuals and organizations) with access and resources to engage with French culture and promote it in their own communities.
Today, under the leadership of Gaëtan Bruel, Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy and Permanent Representative of French Universities in the United States, Cultural Services of the French Embassy promote the best of French arts, literature, cinema, language, and higher education across the US. Based in New York City, Washington D.C and eight other cities across the country, the French Cultural Services brings artists, authors, educational and university programs to cities nationwide. It also builds partnerships between French and American artists, institutions, and universities on both sides of the Atlantic. In New York, through its bookshop, Albertine, it fosters French American exchange around literature and the arts.

City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs

The City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) was established in 1974 to encourage and support Atlanta’s cultural resources. The initial mission was to solidify the role that arts and other cultural resources play in defining and enhancing the social fabric and quality of life of Atlanta citizens and visitors.
Today the OCA understands that the arts play an essential role in defining the cultural vitality of the city and is working to enhance Atlanta’s reputation as a cultural destination. The OCA aims to provide programs that contribute substantially to the city’s economy and quality of life.
The Office of Cultural Affairs’ programming is executed in four key areas: Arts and Education Services, Contracts for Arts Services, Performing Arts, and Public Art. The OCA also manages the Chastain Arts Center/City Gallery at Chastain and Gallery 72.