Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

Holy Sparks: Celebration the Feminine in Spirituality and Faith
2022-11-07 13:30 - 15:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN, United States
After viewing the exhibit, “Holy Sparks: Celebrating 50 Years of Women Rabbinate,” guests are invited to explore the feminine influences on religious traditions and faith journeys by hearing from a panel of diverse religious leaders as well as a poet, sculptor, and musician.
Too often, people are not as aware of the deep and profound feminine influence of their faith formation and faith journeys because of the patriarchal nature of religion in general. This emphasizes the feminine through music, art, sculpture, spoken word, and food.
Using the “Holy Sparks” art exhibit as a backdrop, this event encourages attendees to contemplate and identify the feminine influence on their faith formation and faith journey. Stories from sacred texts will be shared along with stories from individuals that identify, recognize, honor, and celebrate the stories of women, how they have shaped faith practices, communities, and individual faith journeys.
Panel speakers include moderator Katherine Tyler Scott (Managing Principal Ki ThoughtBridge), Rabbi Sandy Sasso (Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck), Dr. Anita Joshi (Hindu Temple of Central Indiana Board), and Reverend Dr. Marilyn Gill (Executive Director of Indiana Christian Leadership Conference). Featured artists include Deepha R. Maturi (poet), D. Del Reverda-Jennings (sculptor), and Dena El Saffar (musician).
A partnership between Center for Interfaith Cooperation, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, and JCC-Indianapolis.
Contact the event organizers at 317-318-5304 or charlie@centerforinterfaithcooperation.org.
Walk-ins welcome, but registrations is strongly encouraged by Nov. 7.
Register below.
EXHIBIT DATES: Nov. 1 – 30
Image courtesy of Sonia Benjamin, Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Ciderside Chats
2022-11-07 14:00 - 16:00 | The Assembly – Restaurant & Cider Bar, 1301 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN, 46201, United States
Enjoy cider, snacks, and stories while listening, reflecting, and vibing about how we shape food and how it shapes us.
How have your tastes been shaped by your community and/or family of origin? How do you use food to connect with new acquaintances and old friends? How might food open new spaces for community, connection, and cooperation?​​​​​​​
Both food and stories shape who we are and how we identify. This event invites attendees to reflect on how food has shaped who they are by listening to featured food stories and then perhaps telling their own stories at an open mic!
Limited free food, alcoholic beverages, and nonalcoholic beverages available, with options for additional purchase. Guests under the age of 21 may attend. Guests may mask-up as preferred.
A partnership between Marian University Department of Media, Design, and Communication; and Ash & Elm Cider Company.
Contact the event organizers at 317-450-7972 or mbaumann@marian.edu.
Capacity is limited to 100 guests and registration is strongly encouraged by noon on November 7.
Register below.
Image Credit: Andréa Homoya

Spirit & Place Festival Exhibits
2022-11-07 - 2022-11-18, 2022-11-08 - 2022-11-19, 2022-11-09 - 2022-11-20, 2022-11-10 - 2022-11-21, 2022-11-11 - 2022-11-22, 2022-11-12 - 2022-11-23, 2022-11-13 - 2022-11-24, 2022-11-14 - 2022-11-25 and 3 more dates | IN
Image Credit: Marti LaMar by Kaila Austin
An exciting array of exhibits are included in this year’s festival! Information about exhibit hours are below. To check the festival programming tied to the events, return to the Event Page to search for the event. You must register for events separately.
Tearing Down Boxes and Embracing Change
Nov. 4-14, 1-4pm (Tues.-Fri.)
Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St.
Monumental Changes: History and Power in Public Art
Nov. 5-17, 10am-5pm (Tues.-Sat.)
Garfield Park Arts Center—Main Gallery, 2432 Conservatory Dr.
The Memory Keepers / Los Guardianes de Memorias
Nov. 4-14, click here to schedule a gallery visit
201 Studio, 201 S. Rural Ave.
The (W)hole in Our Hearts
Nov. 4-12, visit website for hours
Friday, Nov. 5, 5-9pm (First Friday extended hours)
Saturday, Nov. 6, 10am-12pm (Family Day activities)
Nov. 8-12, M-F, 9am-5pm
Circle City Industrial Complex—Stokol Gallery & Hallways, 1125 Brookside Ave.
Introduction to Black Hue-manity: Imagining Blackness Then and Now
Nov. 8-11. Public hours vary.
Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, 1410 Indiana Ave.
We Are the Change We’ve Been Waiting For
Nov. 10, 5:30-8:30pm
Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd St.
Changing Direction: The Evolution of Treatment at Indiana’s State Psychiatric Hospitals
Nov. 4-14
Online Exhibit

Identity and Community in the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
2022-11-08 13:30 - 15:00
Join us as we explore the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, a resource that helps to define, create, and enhance identity for Indianapolis. Learn how the encyclopedia can be a powerful tool for helping citizens participate effectively in the community.
The digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (EOI) provides a home for knowledge about Indianapolis’ past and present. Its entries, timelines, an interactive atlas, and in-depth features tell the stories of people, organizations, places, and events that define Indianapolis and its region. The past shapes our future and without a good, reliable, and comprehensive view of our achievements and struggles, we lack a common sense of identity. EOI works with both organizations and individual members in the community to create neighborhood histories, atlas, and features and shares data through a common framework that defines, creates, and enhances our identity as a city while providing information to mitigate and solve problems.
We will spend about 60 minutes presenting the digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (EOI). We will focus on neighborhood, community, and faith content and how this content serves our community. The program will then shift from us to the audience. For the remainder of the presentation (about 30 minutes), we will act as facilitators–inviting comments, insights, and questions from attendees.
A partnership between Encyclopedia of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Public Library.
Contact the event organizers at 317-275-4135 or evanallen@indypl.org.
Registration required by 4:30pm on Nov. 8 to receive the Zoom link.
Register below.
Image Credit: Mars Hill Arts Center

HIV Modernization: Ending the Stigma of People Living with HIV
2022-11-09 12:30 - 15:00 | Phoenix Theater Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois Street, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Through an art exhibit and panel discussion, learn how people living with HIV and their allies are working to end HIV stigma by modernizing Indiana’s outdated HIV criminal laws.
People living with HIV often face stigma and discrimination related to Indiana laws that criminalize them due to their positive HIV status. This event features speakers living with HIV who are working to end HIV criminalization through legislative change, activism, art, and community support.
A visual art show featuring Indy-based artist Contonnia Turner, Jr. and photographer/digital artist Todd Fuqua will provide a backdrop for the discussion. Contonnia Turner, Jr. is a talented young Black Hoosier with multiple layers of intersecting identity who creates artwork that reflects who he is physically, mentally, and spiritually. Todd Fuqua is an Indianapolis-based artivist (activism through art) who started a social movement called CelebrateUU, building on the concept of HIV Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U).
Explore the exhibit and interact informally with artists beginning at 5:30. The Talk will begin at 6:15 moderated by Terrell Parker and will include HIV Modernization Movement Chair Dr. Carrie Foote, and Co-Chair Mark Anthony Hughes. The Phoenix bar will be open, and snacks will be provided.
A partnership between Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center and HIV Modernization Movement Indiana.
Contact the event organizers at 317-635-7529 or cmacy@phoenixtheatre.org.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
Register below.
EXHIBIT DATES: Nov. 3-13.

Navigating a New Identity After the Loss of a Loved One
2022-11-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Indiana Interchurch Center – Krannert Hall, 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
Join us for this profound discussion as individuals from the book Heart Guide share how identity changes after the death of a loved one: such as reevaluating career choices or forging new life paths after losing a child, spouse, parent, or other loved one. Moderated by Award-Winning Author Diana Ensign.
Tackling the topic of death and how we, as individuals and as a culture, go forward in healthy ways after the loss of people we love is a question asked throughout the ages in religion, art, and philosophy. There are no easy answers, but we can share our stories in the hope that it inspires others to forge a new identity in the face of personal hardship.
Drawing from the award-winning book Heart Guide: True Stories of Grief and Healing, panel members will share how they shifted their lives and found hope while navigating a new identity after the loss of their loved one. The audience will find hope in these stories because the speakers have forged ahead in inspirational ways: forming nonprofits to help others, finding new life partners, and creating new identities.
Panelists include Jeanine Hoffman, Franklin Oliver, Justin Phillips, and David Traylor. Moderated by award-winning author Diana J. Ensign. Doors open at 6:30pm for light snacks with presentations beginning at 7pm.
A partnership between Diana J. Ensign, SAMs Watch, and Overdose Lifeline.
Contact the event organizers at 317-828-6883 or dianaensign.com/contact.
Walk-ins welcome, but registrations strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
Register below.
Navigating a New Identity After the Loss of a Loved One

Finding My Place
2022-11-09 14:00 - 15:30 | KanKan Cinema and Brasserie, 1258 Windsor St, Indianapolis, IN, 46241, United States
A screening of the WFYI film “When Kids Wrote the Headlines,” a story of local student journalists, with a panel discussion on how those experiences shaped their identities and their role in our civic life.
This event showcases the film “When Children Wrote the Headlines,” which is the story of a news bureau – Children’s Express/Y-Press – staffed by students, ages 10-18, who learned the skills of research, interviewing, and, writing to produce news stories for The Indianapolis Star & WFYI from 1990—2012. Their experiences shaped not just their own sense of identity at a critical time in their personal development, but also their role in the civic life of their community.
Following the film screening, moderator Lynn Sygiel, Children’s Express/Y-Press former Director; alum youth journalists Warren Stokes and Lisa Schubert Nowling; a WFYI reporter (TBN); and Bill Moreau, co-founder of The Indiana Citizen will join in conversation on how this experience helped the students identify their skills and interests, shaped their future lives and how they learned the imperative to participate in the wider world, the civic life of our community—to find their place.
A partnership between KanKan Cinema, WFYI, and The Indiana Citizen.
Contact the event organizers at (317) 800-7099 or hello@kankanindy.com.
Walk-ins welcome, space permitting. Registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
Register below.
Image Courtesy of Lynn Sygiel

(Un)Comfortable Conversations: The Power to Identify
2022-11-10 08:00 - 09:00 | Ivy Tech Community College – Illinois Fall Creek Center, 2535 N. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46208, United States
Hear from local writers, poets, and spoken word artists as they share brief and engaging stories of change centered around how they identify and how their sense of identity has shaped their lives and art.
How do the arts, humanities, and religion help identify the truth of who we are? How have identities changed over time? How does identifying with a group create unity? How does it create division? What does it mean to claim a new identity? How do the arts allow us to express our identities?
Writers and spoken-word artists from diverse backgrounds will honestly and courageously tackle these questions and more during this event in which participants will also be given the opportunity to reflect on and write about similar themes. A Q&A will follow between the audience and presenters.
A partnership between Word as Bond, Inc. and
A partnership between Word as Bond, Inc. and the Department of English, Humanities, and World Languages at Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis.
Contact event organizers at 317-940-9814 or amackjackson@wordasbond.org.
This is a hybrid event with in-person (Illinois Fall Creek Center, Rm. 306) and online participation options. Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 8.
Register below. (The single registration link will register you for both in-person and Zoom options!)

Legislating Students' Identities: Stopping Attacks on Students' Identities in School
2022-11-10 11:30 - 13:00
Hear from students themselves on the ways in which their identities are being policed in schools, specifically related to race, sexual orientation, and gender.
Students have been the target of state legislatures across the country, including Indiana, in recent years. From bans on trans athletes and classroom censorship bills to dress codes that disproportionally affected students of color, student rights to be who they are seem constantly under attack. What do students themselves have to say about this?
This event invites the public, especially other youth (14+), to small resource fair featuring “know your rights” content followed by a panel discussion and small group conversations led by students.
A partnership between ACLU of Indiana, Indiana Youth Group, Shelly’s Voice Advocacy, and other Gay-Straight Alliance Groups.
Contact the event organizers at 317-635-4059 or info@aclu-in.org.
Register below.

Image Credit: – Students Protest by Fibonacci Blue on Flickr

Inking Identity: Indigenous Tattoo Practices
2022-11-10 13:30 - 15:00 | Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Artist, activist, and owner/founder of Thunderbird Rising Studios in Indianapolis, Stephanie Big Eagle will talk about the traditional Indigenous practice of hand poked tattooing and how both the practice of tattooing and the tattoo itself shape and reflect cultural identity.
Tattoos are inherently tied to identity as one is choosing to permanently adorn their body with visual aspects of their self. Like many Native art forms, oppression and assimilation practices led traditional tattooing practices to be set aside for a time. Fortunately, these tattooing traditions are experiencing a reawakening and revival in recent years, helping Native Peoples connect deeply to cultural practices that were nearly lost.
Those gathered for the event will have a chance to hear Lakota/Dakota tattoo artist Stephanie Big Eagle and others talk about the practice of hand poked tattooing and how Indigenous tattoos both shape and reflect individual and cultural identities.
A partnership between Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Purdue University Native American Educational and Cultural Center, and Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission.
Contact the event organizers at (317) 275-1377 or museumprograms@eiteljorg.com.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 9.
This event will also be livestreamed via Vimeo.
Register below.
The second group includes people with innate disabilities. We try to rectify what nature Carly Rae Jepsen has deprived us of. And the third group includes patients who should be discouraged. They hope that after plastic surgery problems in the family or at work will disappear, or they will have good luck in the love life. These people don’t realize that the reasons are within themselves and not in their appearance. Sometimes just talking is enough to make the patient realize that there is no need for surgery, because they just need to solve their psychological problems.
Image courtesy of Stephanie Big Eagle

The Rhythm of Us: Interfaith Understanding Through the Art of Music
2022-11-10 14:00 - 15:15 | Franklin College, Napolitan Student Center – Branigin Room, 101 Branigin Blvd., Franklin, IN, United States
With performances representing different religious traditions and opportunities for participation, attendees will explore how music conveys who we are as individuals, groups, and cultures throughout time.
Music is an especially powerful way to express identity in a pluralistic world. Musicians performing across faith traditions and genres will engage participants in a broader conversation about how we convey who we are, as individuals and as groups, through singing, chanting, and instrumental performances. More information can be found at FranklinCollege.edu/interfaitharts.
Featured musicians and performers include vocalist Maegan Pollonais; chanters Vasanthi (Indu) Vasudevan and Constantine (Dean) Maniakas; and pianist Chang Shen.
Check out the performance schedule at Franklin.College.edu/interfaitharts.
A partnership between Franklin College, Franklin Symphonic Council, Center for Interfaith Cooperation, and Miss Polly’s Music Class.
Contact event organizers at 317-738-8054 or bschmidt@franklincollege.edu.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 4.
Register below.

Where’d You Go to High School? Analyzing a Century of the IPS Caste System
2022-11-11 12:30 - 15:30 | Central Library – Center for Black Literature & Culture, 40 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Where we went to high school tells a lot about how we see ourselves and how others see us. Join a session where you and other local grads are challenged to understand identity by analyzing a century-old IPS high school pyramid of caste, power, and prestige through art, poetry, and conversation.
Though we might not think it’s important, when the question “Where’d you go to high school?” is asked, most people know why. Our answer identifies us, making public our social, economic, and cultural background. This is important for our city. Over the past century, Indianapolis created a divided and unjust system of schools sorting/ranking students by neighborhood, race, class, ethnicity, religion, and ability. This caste system betrayed Horace Mann’s promise that our public schools would be the great “equalizer,” a level playing field with equal opportunity for all.
Guests at this event will be challenged, via primary sources, art, poetry, and story sharing, to go deeper, emphasizing important connections to power structures and how we’ve all been used by the system to uphold those systems which have exerted control and influence over public education. Attendees will leave understanding it is worth their time to pay attention to the high school forces that shaped their identity and will be better able to identify current (and future) forces shaping local schools, youth, and neighborhoods.
5PM – Doors open. Check-in begins.
5:30-6PM – Poster board activity reflecting on IPS’s past and present (11) high schools
6-6:30PM – Welcome, Introductions, & Art Presentations
6:30-7:30PM – Small Group Discussions
7:30-8:30PM – Group Report Outs, Discussion, and Conclusion
Artist and poet presentations feature Dr. Monday, Kaila Austin, and Glyde Gaw.
On-site discussion consultants are IPS graduates Guy Russell (Shortridge), John Loflin (Harry E. Wood), Sheila Boyd (Crispus Attucks), and Dr. Thomas Brown (Arsenal Tech).
A partnership between Charles E. & Virginia P. Vornehm-Loflin Center on IPS History, Kheprw Institute, Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Brown, Virgil Boyd & Sheila Boyd, Guy Russell, Kaila Austin, Clyde Gaw, Wyse Ra, and Black & Latino Policy Institute.
Contact the event organizers at 317-998-1339 or johnharrisloflin@yahoo.com.
Walk-ins welcome, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 10.
Register below.

The Sisters Are Alright Weekend: A Celebration of the Black Femme Experience - "Dear Black Girl"
2022-11-11 14:00 - 15:30 | The District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
Through live letter readings and community discussion, The Sisters Are Alright Weekend: A Celebration of the Black Femme Experience amplifies how Black women identify their true selves separate from poisoned narrative. Two gatherings, two venues, one awesome time! ($10 per person/per show.)
For centuries, Black American women have been forced to reckon with negative stereotypes rooted in misogynoir. The indefatigable Mammy; the aggressive Sapphire; the wanton Jezebel; and thoughtlessly procreating Matriarch influence how Black women are seen by society and how they see themselves, disconnecting them from authenticity. Activist Audre Lorde said, “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” This is the spirit of The Sisters Are Alright Weekend: A Celebration of the Black Femme Experience, where participants see what happens when Black women have the freedom to identify their authentic selves–sharing joys, fears and laughter–apart from demonizing stereotype.
Two events explore how Black women identify their authentic selves:
On Nov. 11, a powerful roster of Black women, including performers such as Kesha Dixon, Celeste Williams, and Tatjana Rebelle will take the main stage at The District Theatre for “Dear Black Girl Live II,” reading frank, honest and vulnerable letters about the joys and pains of Black girlhood from the book Dear Black Girl: Letters from Your Sisters on Stepping into Your Power by Tamara Winfrey-Harris.
On Nov. 12, festivalgoers are invited to “Centering Sisters: Loud & Unapologetic” at the Madam Walker Legacy Center—a guaranteed raucous panel and audience discussion that tackles topics such as anger, strength and sex.
To purchase tickets, for “Dear Black Girl Live II,” visit indydistricttheatre.com. For tickets to “Centering Sisters: Loud & Unapologetic,” visit madamwalkerlegacycenter.com.
A partnership between Centering Sisters, The District Theatre, and Madam Walker Legacy Center.
Contact the event organizers at 219-885-9023 or CenteringSisters@gmail.com.
Walk-ins welcome as seating allows, but registration by Nov. 11 and/or 12 is encouraged.
Register below.
Image Credit: Scott Weber

Spirited Chase: Who Are We?
2022-11-12 04:00 - 09:00 | WFYI Public Media, 1630 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
This interactive on-the-go event introduces participants to the places and people who help shape and share the various ways we identify with ourselves and one another in our community.
Spirited Chase is a unique event that offers participants the opportunity to renew the spirit through discovering new people and places in our community. Each mystery partner organization has been selected based on their connection to the IDENTIFY theme and the ways that they help to share, shape, and create identity in our community.
Participants will gather at WFYI before being given directions on how to reach the first of five mystery locations. At each mystery destination, participants will engage in a brief interactive program as they learn about the many ways these people, places, and programs connect to the theme of IDENTIFY. And, participants will learn ways that they can support these organizations.
A partnership between WFYI Public Media and Mystery Partners.
Contact the event organizers at 317-614-0403 or cweidman@wfyi.org.
$9 per person. Registration required by Nov. 10.
Register below.

CANCELLED Reviving a Forgotten Freetown: Mobilizing Family History to Protect Communities
2022-11-12 08:00 - 11:00 | Central Library – Center for Black Literature & Culture, 40 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis, IN, 46204, United States
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
During this half-day workshop, we will explore how the small African American community of Norwood was able to mobilize their family history to protect their community from unwelcome change. This hands-on program will allow us to help participants organize their family stories into community histories using newly developed “archival kits.” Intergenerational (12+) but younger children welcome.
Learn about the history of the Norwood, a neighborhood on the southeast side of Indianapolis, founded in the 1860s with the arrival of soldiers who had served in the 28th U.S. Colored Troops during the American Civil War. Ongoing historical research and the creation of community archives are helping preserve this unique cultural asset and this workshop aims to help participants gain the skills in preserving their own family and community histories.
The workshop will consist of a history lesson on Norwood followed by hands-on activities in which participants will discover the best methods for building their own archives to tell their own stories on their own terms using newly developed take-home archival kits. By creating new histories that allow historically marginalized communities to be centered, the workshop aims to uplift people by creating a space where they can define themselves and feel the embodied sense of pride and community that this recognition gives.
Designed as an intergenerational gathering, this event is great for elders, parents, and youth age 12+. But if you have younger children, please bring them with you! WE will have adapted materials available for them to explore. More details will be shared after registration, but attendees should plan to bring family photos, documents, and other materials with them to analyze.
Partnership between Norwood Community Archives, Center for Africana Studies & Culture, and Center for Black Literature & Culture.
Contact event organizers at 317-777-5020 or norwoodcommunityarchives@gmail.com.
Seating limited to 10 families (2—4 people per group). RSVP by Oct. 25.
Register below.
Image Courtesy: Norwood Community Archives. Penick-Meyers Family Collection, Ms Flinora Frazier

Identify Your Truths: Faith, Race, Life, Inspiration, and the Journey
2022-11-12 09:00 - 11:00 | College Avenue Branch LIbrary, 4180 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
Let’s write!
Hear from local authors on what inspires them to write and share their stories. Attendees will be shown creative examples, provided simple writing tools, and encouraged to write on their own. Featured authors include Rosemary Featherstone Turentine, Linda Lewis-Everett, Phyllis Cotton, Gloria Lewis Vaughn, Melva Scott, and Wynesia Jackson.
Inspired by the Bible verse Habakkuk 2:2-3 (KJV), “And the Lord answered me: Write the vision, and make it plain upon the tablets, that he may run and readeth it,” this 2-hour workshop aims to help attendees identify their writing abilities so that they can tell their own stories on their own terms.
Led by local authors Rosemary Featherstone Turentine, Linda Lewis-Everett, Phyllis Cotton, Gloria Lewis Vaughn, Melva Scott, and Wynesia Jackson, attendees be given a chance to listen, learn, write, and share their stories while also encouraging and inspiring each other to sharpen their talents.
Tentative Schedule:
1pm: Doors open (Optional to arrive this early, but we encourage to make time to socialize before the workshop begins!)
1—2pm: Informal meet-and-greet with authors; snacks and icebreakers
2—3:30pm: Author presentations, fun activities, and writing exercises
3:30—4pm: Conclusion and thank-you gifts, including writing journals!
A partnership between Yes I Can Featherstone Ministries, College Ave. Branch Library, and guest authors.
Contact the event organizers at (317) 603-5394 or festival@iupui.edu.
Due to limited seating and the need to ensure enough workshop supplies, registration is required by Nov. 5.
Register below.

The Testimony Service: I Made It. You Made It. We Made It, Together
2022-11-12 12:00 - 15:00 | Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
The Testimony Service seeks to bring people together—regardless of faith affiliation—to fellowship and celebrate the good news about what’s going on in their lives and communities through music, personal testimony and a shared meal.
To identify means to recognize the existence of a thing. This event, which is rooted in the testimony tradition of the Black church, invites the public to identify the ways they have experienced triumph in their lives. Using interactive writing activities followed by a live musical performance and storytelling from a group of community “testifiers,” this event welcomes everyone to celebrate and share in life’s joys.
Hear from pre-selected community testifiers (and then perhaps share your own story!), make art, listen to music, sit down to a community meal, and join in fellowship with others who want to share what’s good in the world right now. Although rooted in a specific religious tradition, this event eagerly welcomes all!
A partnership between The Testimony Service and The Learning Tree.
Contact event organizers at 317-413-1239 or ebonychappel@gmail.com/
Walk-ins welcome, but registration by Nov. 11 is strongly encouraged.
Register below.

The Sisters Are Alright Weekend: A Celebration of the Black Femme Experience - "Centering Sisters: Loud & Unapologetic"
2022-11-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Through live letter readings and community discussion, The Sisters Are Alright Weekend: A Celebration of the Black Femme Experience amplifies how Black women identify their true selves separate from poisoned narrative. Two gatherings, two venues, one awesome time! ($10 per person/per show.)
For centuries, Black American women have been forced to reckon with negative stereotypes rooted in misogynoir. The indefatigable Mammy; the aggressive Sapphire; the wanton Jezebel; and thoughtlessly procreating Matriarch influence how Black women are seen by society and how they see themselves, disconnecting them from authenticity. Activist Audre Lorde said, “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” This is the spirit of The Sisters Are Alright Weekend: A Celebration of the Black Femme Experience, where participants see what happens when Black women have the freedom to identify their authentic selves–sharing joys, fears and laughter–apart from demonizing stereotype.
Two events explore how Black women identify their authentic selves:
On Nov. 11, a powerful roster of Black women, including performers such as Kesha Dixon, Celeste Williams, and Tatjana Rebelle will take the main stage at The District Theatre for “Dear Black Girl Live II,” reading frank, honest and vulnerable letters about the joys and pains of Black girlhood from the book Dear Black Girl: Letters from Your Sisters on Stepping into Your Power by Tamara Winfrey-Harris.
On Nov. 12, festivalgoers are invited to “Centering Sisters: Loud & Unapologetic” at the Madam Walker Legacy Center—a guaranteed raucous panel and audience discussion that tackles topics such as anger, strength and sex.
To purchase tickets, for “Dear Black Girl Live II,” visit indydistricttheatre.com. For tickets to “Centering Sisters: Loud & Unapologetic,” visit madamwalkerlegacycenter.com.
Partnership between Centering Sisters, The District Theatre, and Madam Walker Legacy Center.
Contact event organizers at 219-885-9023 or CenteringSisters@gmail.com.
Walk-in welcome as seating permits, but registration is strongly encouraged by Nov. 11 and/or 12, respectively.
Image Credit: Scott Weber

Blue Like Me: Identity Exploration with Siona Benjamin and Rabbi Sandy Sasso
2022-11-13 09:00 - 11:00 | Arthur M Glick JCC – Laikin Auditorium, 6701 Hoover Rd., Indianapolis, IN, United States
Through performance art, conversation, and Q&A, attendees will explore sacred stories of identity, challenge, and transformation during this creative and thought-provoking event featuring Indian Jewish artist Siona Benjamin and Rabbi Sandy Sasso.
Centering the sacred storytelling of the midrash, Siona Benjamin – a trans-cultural Jewish artist who grew up in Hindu and Muslim societies while educated in Catholic and Zoroastrian schools – will, along with Rabbi Sasso and dancers from Phoenix rising, explore how sacred narratives link one’s identity to larger communal traditions and understanding.
The speakers and performers at this event have each had to create their own narratives to break down barriers in order to reach their high levels of achievement. Together, they will examine the sacred responsibility of holy storytelling and will teach the audience how they can create sacred stories for themselves.
A partnership between JCC Indianapolis, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, and Center for Interfaith Cooperation. This event is also part of the JCC’s 24th Ann Katz Festival of Books.
Event organizer contact info: (317) 715-9233 or lrothenberg@jccindy.org.
Walk-ins welcome, space permitting. Registration is still encouraged by Nov. 13.
Register below.
Image Credit: Siona Benjamin

27th Annual Spirit & Place Festival Public Conversation: American Identity
2022-11-13 11:30 - 13:00
How have the ways in which Americans identify been shaped by race, religion, region, and gender? What other forces have shaped our individual and collective sense of identity? Can we even speak of a singular “American identity?”
This year’s Public Conversation invites historian Kathleen Belew (Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America and co-editor and contributor to A Field Guide to White Supremacy), religious studies scholar Stephen Prothero (Religion Matters: An Introduction to the World’s Religions), and former White House staffer (2013-16) and co-founding partner of Culture House Media, Carri Twigg, to engage in a moderated conversation where we will examine how Americans identify and what role the arts, humanities, and religion can play in helping cultivate a shared sense of identity during divisive times. (VIRTUAL EVENT.)
Presented by Spirit & Place and The Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture at IUPUI. This program has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Contact Spirit & Place at 317-274-2462 or festival@iupui.edu.
RSVP by noon on November 13 to receive the Zoom link. The webinar link and login instructions will be sent 48hrs and again 2hrs ahead of the event. Read the entire email from Eventbrite to locate the link.
*The Public Conversation will be recorded, but only available upon request for 30 days following the event. “Live” attendance during the webinar on Nov. 13 is strongly encouraged!
Register below.

Kathleen Belew

Carri Twigg

Stephen Prothero
