Planting the seeds for a new kind of arts collective, Intro to Success (ITS), a Black-owned youth-built arts organization and cultural program, presents its 7th annual immersive arts experience.
This year’s ITS Fest is conceived as “ITS TOPIA,” addressing COVID and racial inequity—which disproportionately affects BIPOC communities. Each year, the conceptual framework of the festival addresses varying concerns of the community.
The festival will bring immersive art installations and experiences to the Northrup King Building on Saturday August 27, with a goal to “create an inner and out-of-body experience for the audience to release, be present, connect, express and grow within themselves and each other through music, texture, technology, space and literal voices of community,” according to ITS.
The Northrup King Building space will be divided into three spaces, each representing a state of consciousness, bringing awareness to forgotten histories and moments with ourselves and our city. There will be art and music by a number of artists including Inayah Elamin, Awa Mally, Philli Irvin, Angela Perez and Papa Mbye filling the space from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
ITS was born out of North Minneapolis’s own Philli Irvin, who saw the undying need for Black-owned spaces that spark purpose and create positive life experiences for BIPOC communities. As a resident of the Northside, he saw first hand the disproportionate access to resources for artists. He built ITS to be a space for community healing and connection and a place to explore joy, reflection and curiosity through different mediums.
The organization creates an ecosystem of spaces, events and resources that enhance Black and Brown careers and overall wellness through the arts. Seven years ago, Irvin and a team of artists set out to reawaken the creative possibilities of his neighborhood in the Northside. Now, the collective offers bi-monthly pop-up events, cultural programming, and arts education throughout the community.
You can donate to the Intro to Success GoFund Me to support the organization’s work to provide resources, funding and an integral space for young Black and Brown artists to thrive.