Sat 5/27 @ 7-10PM
Now in its 10th year, Station Hope, coordinated by Cleveland Public Theatre, celebrates the legacy of the Underground Railroad, which ushered slaves to freedom, and the ongoing fight for human rights, civil rights and justice.
It does so through performances by all sorts of performing artists: actors, musicians, dancers, spoken word artists, storytellers and more, along with art installations, engaging more than 200 area performers/artists and 50 area arts/culture organizations. Pieces were inspired by historical local groundbreakers such as Jesse Owens and Toni Morrison, a historical Cleveland jazz club called Val’s in the Alley, and pioneering human rights activists such as Harriet Tubman, Ella Baker and Claudette Colvin, among others. Short performances are repeated throughout the evening, so you have the opportunity to catch many of them.
Among the presenters are Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, University/Cleveland Heights newly named first Poet Laureate Siaara Freeman, Mojuba Dance Collective, Reflections Dance Theater, the Cleveland Association of Black Storytellers, playwright David Hansen and African American Quilt & Doll Guild, whose display of intricate quilts, many addressing race & justice, is always a highlight of the event.
The event takes place on the grounds of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ohio City, considered to be an important stop in Cleveland on the Underground Railroad, both inside the church spaces, outside in its courtyard and in the street in front of it. It’s free and open to all, and is family-friendly.
Cleveland, OH 44113