Paula OG摄影

剧院

打造全球艺术社区

Yura Sapi共同创立了非营利组织LiberArte，以支持世界各地的艺术家努力结束种族、社会和气候的不公正

然而，在波士顿大学学习戏剧，并在纽约市立大学布鲁克林学院获得表演艺术管理硕士学位后，萨皮（16岁）发现，有色人种和性别认同不固定的演员所能获得的机会有限。“我开始以一种不同的方式看待美国梦——几乎是一个谎言，一个被讲述的故事，”萨皮说。“我最喜欢的角色是那些我参与创作、写作和制作的角色。我想成为拆除压迫性结构并做出改变的一部分。”

他们做了一个大胆的决定。2018年，萨皮离开纽约前往厄瓜多尔。Three years later, they moved to Nuquí in Chocó, Colombia, to immerse themselves in a way of life that was both new and ancient—“rediscovering ancestral practices, a river you can swim in, and a more sustainable type of living,” they say. 他们访问了土著和黑人社区，并开始从美国的角度理解反种族主义。萨皮也开始学习厄瓜多尔的土著语言克奇瓦语。在与一位长老的仪式练习中，他们得到了一个新名字：Yura Sapi。

“在Kichwa语中，yura的意思是树或植物，sapi的意思是根，”他们解释说。“It’s definitely an important part of who I am. 我来到这个世界上是为了重新联系并扎根，并帮助其他人也这样做。”

左:Sapi, Yowar Mosquera保护器de la Tierra开始,培养超过100英亩的黑人土地养活Nuqui的居民,在哥伦比亚;Right: a July 2023 rehearsal for members of LiberArte’s music ensemble artist-in-residence Tambacum, including Julián “Tatico” Mosquera (center).

为此，萨皮与人共同创立了一个非营利组织，旨在授权世界各地的艺术家和“创意活动家”来帮助结束种族、社会和气候的不公正。这个名为LiberArte的组织主要通过资助和各种教育项目和艺术活动来支持美国和国外的BIPOC、移民和LGBTQIA+艺术家。

“我一直觉得艺术就是澳门威尼斯人注册行动主义，”萨皮说。“艺术家能够想象世界不存在。We see things and manifest them into existence. 无论是呈现另一种现实的戏剧，还是传达特定信息的壁画，艺术家都可以改变人们的想法，改变世界。这就是LiberArte的意义所在：通过艺术实现解放。”

The Power of the Arts

随着美国禁书和审查制度的兴起，萨皮认为LiberArte的作品比以往任何时候都更有意义。“People have always known the power of the arts, so there will always be resistance and fear of it,” they say. “我们必须记住，他们害怕我们暴露出来的东西——展示镜子——因为这意味着我们正在为此做些什么。”

From a sound studio in Nuquí, they host Building Our Own Tables, a podcast that amplifies the experiences and voices of global theater leaders of color. LiberArte的战略规划澳门威尼斯人注册网站研究所提供澳门威尼斯人注册公平、包容和正义的面对面和虚拟课程，并准备启动为期一年的奖学金，帮助艺术家活动家实现他们社区驱动的努力。“它可以是一个剧团，一个艺术装置，一个表演，或者一个社区花园，”萨皮说。“We want to help them visualize and realize an idea that gives back to the community.”

LiberArte以社区为导向，以自然为灵感来培养艺术表达的方法源于Sapi的个人旅程。They’ve made a home in Nuquí, a remote municipality in the Chocó region of Colombia, nestled among pristine rivers, thermal springs, and waterfalls. “I love being able to connect with nature in such a deep way, where humanity isn’t dominating everything,” says Sapi, now a multimedia artist working in theater, film, photography, painting, and digital media. “Chocó也主要是黑人和土著居民，所以我觉得在我的种族正义工作及其与社会和气候正义的交集方面，我与这里的人们有共同的理解。”

LiberArte发起了一个名为“地球保护者”（Protectores de la Tierra）的粮食主权项目，让当地农民和志愿者耕种100多英亩黑人拥有的土地，为Nuquí及周边社区的居民提供食物，并减少对进口加工食品的依赖。“We’re bringing back ancestral farming practices from a generation ago, when Nuquí exported things like rice, plantains, pineapple, and corn,” Sapi says. “这是地球上降雨最多的地方之一，所以这里能种植的东西令人难以置信。In a place you can only reach by plane or boat, having our own food is so important.”

The project links organically with LiberArte’s Nuquí Artist Residency, which invites artist-activists abroad to work on the land while finding creative inspiration in the region’s striking natural beauty and community culture. LiberArte目前的驻场艺术家是Nuquí-based Tambacum，这是一个由歌手、鼓手和打击乐手组成的传统音乐合奏团，他们在2020年大流行期间聚集在一起。Tambacum released their first record in 2021, and LiberArte is working on bringing the group to the US for an East Coast tour in 2024.

“他们的音乐是祖传的，是代际的，”萨皮说。“They’re teaching the young kids and learning from local elders. In this way, we are decolonizing how art is taught. It’s not only in academic institutions. There is so much wisdom and expertise that comes from these sabedoras y sabedores [wise bards] who learned through their ancestors.”

LiberArte and Tambacum have joined with community arts groups and businesses to revive the annual Festival del Tamborito, which is held in Nuquí, and celebrates Chocó’s vibrant cultural heritage through music, dance, storytelling, and artisan crafts. Sapi says international interest in the festival and other cultural events has boosted support and funding for education, food access, and local environmental issues. 

Sapi envisions LiberArte’s work activating artists in other countries across the Andean region, Central America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. “拥有这个全球社区对我们来说非常重要，”他们说。“这就是我们的力量所在。We’re able to see ourselves in each other, multiply everything we’re doing, and get inspired and empowered by our collective hope. 最终，我们都在一起。Our water is all connected. We’re all artists, really, creating our lives.”