Southside Artistry - The Black Arts Movement
The dawn of the Civil Rights movement awakened a vibrant arts revival in the African-American community on Chicago’s south side. Visual artists, poets, dancers, actors, musicians, and scholars were interacting and collaborating. Many of the artists and institutions from the 1960s and 1970s, such as Muntu Dance Theatre, Third World Press, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), are still contributing to cultural life. Through story, poetry, and song, Shanta paints a picture of Chicago’s Black Arts Movement, highlighting many players who have made this a vibrant, internationally-recognized arts community.
Shanta Nurullah has been performing as a musician, storyteller, and actor since 1972, presenting concerts and workshops in educational and cultural institutions across the country and abroad. She has released several recordings and won numerous awards, including the coveted Artist Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council (2001). She has appeared at the National Storytelling Festival, the National Festival of Black Storytelling, National Geographic, Columbia University, the Chicago Jazz Festival, and the Chicago Humanities Festival.
