Ripple Project at Madison Public Library

The Ripple Project, with funding from Beyond the Page, is a year-long series of humanities-based programs designed to get communities talking about race, equity and inclusion within their libraries. These programs are taking place across Dane County in various Dane County Public Libraries from April 2022 through early 2023. Madison Public Library is hosting multiple Ripple Project Programs this year. See what's coming up below:

April

Thursday, April 27: Loud 'n Unchained Writing Workshop at Pinney Library

6-8PM | Pinney Library

Writing Workshop Led by T.S.Banks (He/they/ze) an QTKrip teaching artists from Madison, WI. He'll lead us in writing prompts exploring Krip time, Krip Love, and Krip Pride! Join T Thursday April 27th at Pinney Library in the community room. All writers welcome, no experience necessary. All participants will leave with a few pieces of writing created in the workshop. There will also be time to share what's written in the workshop together!

This workshop is made possible by Loud 'n' Unchained Theater Company and the Ripple Project

Friday, April 28: Loud 'n Unchained LNU QTKrip* Showcase + Mini Artists Market at Pinney Library

LNU QTKrip* Showcase + Mini Artists Market is brought to you by Beyond the Page and Loud 'N Unchained Theater Co., music brought to you by Femme Noir

Artists include Basal Jones, Rain Cooper, Sirena Flores, SunShine Raynebow, Lexy Ware, Charles Payne, Alikz, Ti S Banks and Sarah B.

*QT stands for queer and trans. Krip is a reclaimed word from disabled Black artists. Featured artists identify with all or one of the terms that make up QTKrip.

Past Programs

May

May 14: Black Girls Don't at Lakeview Library

In this presentation Prenicia Clifton - a world class opera singer - tells her story of overcoming society putting young Black girls in a box and what it really means to create your own path in life. To this day Prenicia constantly challenges the stereotypes of Black women and uses her story to inspire youth.

May 21: Speaking with Music at Lakeview Library

Join Neng Now - a HMong musical linguistics scholar - to learn about the one-of-a-kind musical ability of the Hmong language. HMong music is the last surviving musical language in the world—it is able to mimic HMong speech by using musical intervals, ornamentation, and chords to mimic linguistic tones, consonants, and vowels—allowing musicians to literally speak with music.

June

June 25: Creating a Sense of Belonging Through Slam at Sequoya Library

Charles's workshop will help you delve into crucial conversations across differences. By doing so, you will foster a deeper understanding of yourself. By giving participants a brave space to share their personal stories and challenging them to listen critically, participants will be inspired to think, write, and share experiences they've had that contributed to their sense of belonging.

July

July 13: Black Girls Don't at Hawthorne Library

July 15: Loud ‘n’ Unchained Theater Company OPEN MIC at Pinney Library

July 16: Loud 'n' Unchained Theater Company WRITING WORKSHOP at Pinney Library

Loud ‘n’ Unchained Theater company presents a series of writing workshops and open mic events centering Black, Indigenous and POC, Queer, Trans and Disabled writers and authors. The July sessions will be led by T.S. Banks and Dj Femme Noir and will be around the theme: Split. Love and Madness! Celebrating Queer Trans and Mad-c/Krip Voices! Each open mic will feature a new QTBIPoC Disabled artist and and Live DJ. Sign up in advance (link coming soon!) to read or show up by 5:45 to sign up to read! The presenters request that event attendees wear masks while in the space.

Friday, July 15, 6-8pm Open Mic featuring T.S. Banks and Dj Femme Noir
Saturday, July 16, 12-1:30 Writing Workshop led by T.S. Banks and Dj Femme Noir

July 15, 25 and 27: Think Like A DJ: Varsity Program on the Dream Bus

Martinez White will present his Think Like A DJ: Varsity Program using the four core elements of Hip-Hop culture (DJing, MCing, Breakdancing, Graffiti) to teach financial literacy, artistic independence and entrepreneurship to youth.

In one hour kids will be inspired and empowered to use their artistic gifts to achieve their dreams. Join us for DJing, a rap game and a graffiti contest! Contest winners will earn prizes and all participants will receive a copy of the Think Like A DJ coloring book.

Thursday, July 15, 5-6PM | Dream Bus at Kennedy Heights Block Party
Monday, July 25, 5-6PM | Dream Bus at Allied Park for Parks Alive!
Wednesday, July 27, 5-6PM | Dream Bus at Theresa Terrace Neighborhood Center

July 20: Contemporary Native Art: Issues and (Mis)Understandings at Sequoya Library

Join National Heritage Fellow Karen Ann Hoffman of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin for a conversation about Contemporary Native Art, Issues and (Mis-)Understandings. Warning—some topics may be triggering for some attendees. Our gathering will begin with community building over a sampling of traditional Oneida food and tea prepared by Karen Ann. As we get to know each other, Karen Ann will share a presentation of her art, songs and stories focusing on a 2-way discussion comparing the ways Western and Native cultures understand the role of Art. The broad ranging conversation will include an in-depth discussion of her multi year efforts to raise awareness about the Mass Native burial site on the grounds of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. We’ll also touch on the ongoing tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the discovery of children’s graves at Residential Schools. Karen Ann will also encourage attendees to “Ask an Indian Anything!” as a way of openly and gently addressing questions, concerns and (mis-)understandings they may have.

August

August 5: Loud ‘n’ Unchained Theater Company WRITING WORKSHOP at Central Library
August 6: Loud 'n' Unchained Theater Company OPEN MIC at Central Library

Loud ‘n’ Unchained Theater company presents a series of writing workshops and open mic events centering Black, Indigenous and POC, Queer, Trans and Disabled writers and authors. The August sessions will be led by T.S. Banks, Sean Avery Medlin and DJ Femme Noir and will be on the theme: 808 and Otherworlds. Each open mic will feature a new QTBIPoC Disabled artist and a Live DJ. Sign up in advance to read or show up by 4:45 to sign up to read! The presenters request that event attendees wear masks while in the space.

Friday, August 5, 4-5:45pm Writing Workshop led by Sean Avery Medlin (they/them) and DJ Femme Noir
Saturday, August 6, 5-8pm Open Mic led by T.S. Banks and DJ Femme Noir

October

October 13: Loud ‘n’ Unchained Theater Company WRITING WORKSHOP at Goodman South Madison Library
October 14: Loud 'n' Unchained Theater Company OPEN MIC at Goodman South Madison Library

Thursday, October 13, 5:45-7:45PM Writing Workshop led by T.S. Banks.
Friday, October 14, 6-7:45PM Open Mic featuring Kilo aka SkitL’z, MUSIC BY DJ BOYFRRRIEND, and Mini Feature Sarah B.

October 17: Hidden Voices: African American Writers of Resistance at Alicia Ashman Library

Three Madison-area African American writers, poet Fabu, novelist Sherry Lucille, and playwright and novelist Catrina Sparkman, discuss their poetry and prose in relation to the work of three African American literary giants who also lived and worked in the Madison area during the 20th century: novelist Jean Toomer, playwright Lorraine Hansberry, and poet Sarah Webster Fabio. Experience poetry, prose, and drama that sheds light on what it means to be African American in Wisconsin today, yesterday, and tomorrow through a multimedia presentation about the work and lives of these literary artists and their interpretations of race in Wisconsin. 3-4PM

November

November 11: Loud ‘n’ Unchained Theater Company OPEN MIC at Pinney Library
November 12: Loud 'n' Unchained Theater Company WRITING WORKSHOP at Pinney Library

Friday, November 11, 6-8PM Open Mic | Featuring chalchiuhkoatl with Natalia and music by DJ Pearl Marshall
Saturday, November 12, 12-1:30PM Writing Workshop | Featuring chalchiuhkoatl.

November 17: Paul Robeson: Ballad of an American

6-7:30PM | Goodman South Madison Library

November 29: Paul Robeson: Ballad of an American

6-7:30PM | Hawthorne Library

Paul Robeson -- Ballad of an American is an excerpted reading in performance of Sharon Rudahl's beautiful work Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson (2020), edited by Paul Buhle and Lawrence Ware. Interspersed with Robeson's own music and words, beginning with an eleven-minute excerpt of his compelling interview before HUAC (House Un-American Activities Commitee), it uses the frank, direct writing, and imagery of Rudahl.

Poets Quanda Dawnyell Johnson and Melvin Hinton will take the audience on a journey through spoken word, music, and slides into the passions, fortitude, and grit of one of the greatest men, so soon forgotten, that this country has ever produced. Scholar, athlete, lawyer, singer, actor, activist, in short, the true Renaissance Man of letters, art, and activism -- Paul Robeson.

December

December 6: Creating A Sense of Belonging Through Slam

6-7PM | Hawthorne Library

Please join us for an evening of slam poetry brought to us by Charles Payne. Charles's workshop will help participants delve into crucial conversations across differences. And by doing so, participants will foster a deeper understanding of themselves. The learning objectives were designed to challenge participants to think, write, and share experiences they've had that contributed to their sense of belonging by giving participants a brave space to share their personal stories and challenging them to listen critically.

Charles Payne (he, him) has won the Arts + Literature Laboratory's inaugural ALL Originals Prize competition for his poems and the Moth's Inaugural Central GrandSLAM storytelling competition. Charles is a Madison (WI) transplant, a certified teacher, and a self-taught social artist from Michigan. This program will be catered to middle schoolers, but all ages are welcome to attend.

January 2023

January 28: Black Girls Don't at Hawthorne Library