Queer Cultural Center

The 24th Annual National Queer Arts Festival The Future is... Mark your calendars for QCC's 2021 National Queer Arts Festival beginning May 22nd throughout the month of June online! This year's virtual festival honors QCC artists, their work, and the possibility of imagination and manifestation of the future. This year's theme, The Future is... implicitly poses a question that encourages us towards a collective embodiment of the future. Through the eyes of the artists centeri...ng Queer, Trans, Gender Nonconforming, Intersex, Two-spirit, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTI2SBIPOC artists), we give voice to the truth we knowthe future is already here, and the future is us. Over the years, our Creating Queer Community (CQC) program has commissioned over 400 LGBTQ+ artists to create, produce, comission, promote, and document original works examining LGBTQ+ social justice and civil rights issues that debut at the National Queer Arts Festival. This year we are excited to offer the National Queer Arts Festival Pass! This ticket will give you access to all Creating Queer Community 2021 Cohort events for $75! Buy your tickets here: https://cutt.ly/ObGCf1L

Tomorrow Natalia, our Executive Director talks QCC, this year's National Queer Arts Festival, and more with The GLBT Historical Society!

Do you know about Art Handlxrs* (AH*), a group of BIPOC, queer, non-binary, and trans people, and womxn* in the professional arts industry as preparators, art handlxrs, technicians, fabricators, and other industry support roles? Check out their Open Call offering five art handlxrs $300 each to participate in an interview and photoshoot. By using first-person storytelling and photography, AH* will produce visual profiles that better represent the diversity present in their fie...ld. https://www.arthandlxrs.com/open-calls The deadline for this application is May 1st by 11:59 PM PST

Sean Dorsey Dance online At-Home Season is WEEK & starts TONIGHT! Join for a first look at our new multi-year project: TheLostArtOfDreaming and the premier of 8 new dance films. April 16-18... Free - registration at https://bit.ly/2OUBQdJ All programs will be Open-Captioned for Deaf/HoH viewers QCC is proud to co-commission and support this project! See more

Tickets are on sale now for the Queer Afro Latin Dance Festival by In Lak'ech Dance! https://www.facebook.com/Queerafrolatindancefestival

Tonight! 7:00PM, PST, virtual event. QCCA, CCA Illustration and CCA Critical Ethnic Studies presents: Peaches and Honey, SF Drag: Past, Present, and Future. It’s not too late to get tickets via event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peaches-and-honey-the-past-pre

We have some exciting news as we honor QCC's legacy this month! We are delighted to welcome Natalia M. Vigil to lead the Queer Cultural Center as our Executive Director. And we extend our deepest gratitude to Pamela Peniston, co-founder of QCC. Pam has led QCC for decades with unfaltering care, commitment and heart. ... Please join us in welcoming Natalia and honoring Pam! Check out our newsletter and subscribe for more! https://bit.ly/35wpSvl

Say her name. Breonna Taylor. The recent verdict around the life and unjust murder case of Breonna Taylor, continues to show us that inequality and racism persists without consequence or justice. We stand against anti-Black racism, police brutality and the state sanctioned murders of Black people in the United States and around the world. We must keep alive Breonna Taylor’s name and the names of so many others like her. ... We commit to continuing to create opportunities for visibility and to honor queer black voices. As artists, we must continue to use our voices and our art to amplify change and to proclaim Black Lives Matter! As a community, we continue to navigate a pandemic that disproportionately impacts black people, artists, QTBIPOC+. We encourage everyone to take action in your own way. Organize. Build. Love. Vote. Make. Care. QCC stands in commitment to our QTBIPOC artists and to the important role each one of you holds in dismantling our oppressive system and creating a more just world. -Ramona Webb, Artistic Development Director, Natalia M. Vigil, Executive Director, Jaqueline Francis, Board President [Artwork by @carolitajohnson @denny_ow @allenmoreworks @tigrebailando @blklivesmatter @unappollogeticallybrownseries] #sayhernamebreonataylor #solidarityeveryday

Join us TONIGHT for Eartha Kunt: Compromise for What? 7:00PM (PST) Fri. Sept. 18 TONIGHT Watch on: https://www.facebook.com/mykinfolkz... Or register using the link in bio Eartha Kunt has spent pandemic time uncompromising on the fullness of their grief and resilience. See it in action. See more

Join us tonight for this incredible debut spoken word album! Make Me Black: Listening Party + Video Release w/ Dazié Grego 7:00PM-9:00PM (PST)... Thurs. Sept. 17 TONIGHT Watch on: https://www.facebook.com/mykinfolkz Link in Bio #QueerArtsCenter #peoplesoaklandpride #allblacklivesmatter #BIPOC #QCC See more

Join us TONIGHT for Sevan presents: DemiSlave a retelling as part of The People's Pride Fest! You don't want to miss this. 7:00PM-8:00PM Wed. Sept. 16 Watch at: https://www.facebook.com/mykinfolkz... DemiSlave: The 2nd coming of Moses, retells the childhood and adolescence of Araminta Minty Ross (also known as Harriet Tubman.) A 25 year old slave woman recounts her earlier acts of resistance as The Spirit guides her toward transformation from enslaved to liberated.

Join us TOMORROW for Queer Country Music from Oakland's Secret Emchy Society as part of People's Pride Fest! 6:30PM-7:00PM (PST) Wed. Sept. 16 Note: Virtual and Live on FB Live. ... Watch at: https://www.facebook.com/mykinfolkz Named by the Huffington Post as the First Lady of Queer Country, Cindy Emch and her Secret a Emchy Society play heart breaking, foot stomping classic country tunes about love, friendship, and adventure. With their new album hitting #6 on the Top 10 Alt Country charts, and mentions on NPR, NoDepression, TheBoot, Americana Highways, and more - this is a show not to be missed.

People's Oakland Pride Fest continues! Join us for another week of events including: Queer Country Music from Oakland's Secret Emchy Society 6:30PM-7:00PM (PST)... Wed. Sept. 16 Note: Virtual and Live on FB Live. Register using the link in bio Named by the Huffington Post as the First Lady of Queer Country, Cindy Emch and her Secret a Emchy Society play heart breaking, foot stomping classic country tunes about love, friendship, and adventure. Sevan DemiSlave a retelling 7:00PM-8:00PM Wed. Sept. 16 DemiSlave: The 2nd coming of Moses, retells the childhood and adolescence of Araminta Minty Ross (also known as Harriet Tubman). Make Me Black: Listening Party + Video Release w/ Dazié Grego 7:00PM-9:00PM (PST) Thurs. Sept. 17 Note: Virtual and Live on https://www.facebook.com/mykinfolkz Make Me Black is Dazié Grego’s debut spoken word album. This work fuses Jazz, Spoken Word, and Hip-Hop as it explores Blackness as an unapologetic and necessary construct. Eartha Kunt: Compromise for What? 7:00PM (PST) Fri. Sept. 18 Note: Virtual and Live on FB Live https://www.facebook.com/mykinfolkz Eartha Kunt has spent pandemic time uncompromising on the fullness of their grief and resilience. See all the events this week at: https://www.queerartscenter.com/oakland-pride-art-exhibit #QueerArtsCenter #peoplesoaklandpride #allblacklivesmatter #BIPOC #QCC

Happening *NOW* join us in virtually cheering on QCC artists as they perform at Oakland Pride including Nazelah Jamison, Dillbilly, and Sgt. Die Wies! Watch now: https://www.twitch.tv/oaklandpride2020 Miss the event? You can watch it on replay on twitch!

Join us today for these events featuring incredible artists! TODAY Watch on twitch.tv/OaklandPride2020

Join us for an online community gathering and uplift your spirits with Sandra Valls’s Playroom Karaoke this weekend as part of the People's Oakland Pridefest! 5:00PM Saturday Sept. 12 TOMORROW! FREE & Live on FB @playroomkaraoke ... Playroom Karaoke It's a live mini house concert meets Pee-Wee's Playhouse! Direct from their secret playroom Sandra and Connie perform all your favorites! And yes, they will take requests. Plus...prizes, fun facts, laughter, happiness and did we mention FUN?

Please join us in congratulating Pamela Peniston, founding member of Queer Cultural Center, honored with the GLBT Historical Society's History Maker award! We love seeing Pam being recognized for the history maker that she is and for her invaluable contribution and lasting legacy to queer community <3

Join us for an artist showcase tomorrow 9/9 as part of People's Oakland Pride featuring QCC artists: PeekaBoo Eartha Kunt Nann Tsehay ... Mandela 6:00PM-9:00PM PST Wednesday, Sept. 9 TOMORROW! FREE Note: Please register using the event link here or on the festival calendar

https://www.queerartscenter.com/oakland-pride-art-exhibit QCC is proud to be a community partner and supporter of THE 9TH ANNUAL PEOPLE’s OAKLAND PRIDE CREATIVE ARTS + FILM FEST, a 16-day cinematic and artistic celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride taking place August 30th-September 14th! Join us today: ... The Ones You've Been Waiting For Art Exhibition: 100% Brown & Black Magic By The People, For The People 3:00PM PST Monday, Sept. 7 TODAY! The People's Oakland Pride: Nazelah, and All 6:30PM PST Monday, Sept. 7 TONIGHT! ALL FREE EVENTS Note: Please register using the event links on the festival calendar See calendar for many more performances by QCC alumni and artists in residence: Chibueze Crouch, Christie James, Cindy Emch, Dazie Grego-Sykes, Dillbilly, Eartha Kunt, Juba Kalamka, Kim Johnson, Lisa Evans, Peekaboo, Mandela, Mona Webb, Nann Tsehay, Nana Duffuor, Nazelah Jamison, Valerie Troutt, Sandra Valls, Sevan, Sonya Renee Taylor, Yvonne Etaghene, and more! #QueerArtsCenter #peoplesoaklandpride #allblacklivesmatter #BIPOC #QCC

Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund will award approximately $300,000 for up to 12 grants of $25,000 to support ideas for what a racially just Oakland could look like. They invite projects from Black, Indigenous, people of color cultural practitioners who envision a society liberated from racial oppression and from the civic practices and policies that have upheld structural racism. The Fund aims to amplify the voices and imagination of those most impacted by structural racism and inequality. . . . Deadline: July 13, 2020