Idris Ackamoor and Cultural Odyssey
For General Operating Support
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Amount$150,000
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Program
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Date Awarded6/16/2017
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Term36 Months
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Type of SupportGeneral Support/Organization
Strategies
Overview
Cultural Odyssey is the creative collaboration between its two founders, musician Idris Ackamoor and theater artist Rhodessa Jones, who together create, produce, and present work that reflects the contemporary African American experience. In addition to touring locally, nationally and internationally, Cultural Odyssey’s programming includes long-term theatrical work with incarcerated women. As spokespersons for late-career artists, Ackamoor and Jones have co-written resource books and articles about retirement planning for artists. New releases of previously recorded music honor the continued relevance of the artists’ careers. A renewal grant will support the continued development of Cultural Odyssey’s legacy and the development of an archive, as it expands its marketing capacity, and maintains its seasonal offerings.
About the Grantee
Grantee Website
www.culturalodyssey.org
Address
Post Office Box 156620, San Francisco, CA, 94115-6680, United States
Grants to this Grantee
for general operating support
Idris Ackamoor and Cultural Odyssey supports the work of jazz musician and recording artist Idris Ackamoor and theater artist and teacher Rhodessa Jones. The artists create, produce, and present work rooted in the African American experience. They present and tour throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, nationally, and internationally. Cultural Odyssey provides performing arts training and performance opportunities to women who have experienced the ill effects of incarceration and HIV/AIDS, and leads a consortium of San Francisco African American performing arts organizations, with the goals of providing mutual support, building organizational capacity, and better serving audiences. Support of Idris Ackamoor and Cultural Odyssey aligns with the Performing Arts Program’s Communities strategy.
for general operating support
Idris Ackamoor and Cultural Odyssey produces original work rooted in African American music, dance, and theatrical traditions. The organization’s programming consists of five annual productions performed before 5,000 locals; thousands more see its work on national and international tours. In addition, Cultural Odyssey runs The Medea Project, a pioneering artistic process that transforms the lives of incarcerated women through storytelling and performance.
