Newswise — New York – The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) has entered into a year-long partnership with Voza Rivers/New Heritage Theatre Group as its Artist-in-Residence. Together with the NYAM Development office, the Artist-in-Residence will present a series of programs including film screenings, readings, concerts, exhibitions, and theatrical and dance performances. Panel discussions will follow most of the programming. Through the presentations in this series, NYAM hopes to focus attention and bring action to the elimination of health disparities in East Harlem and the greater New York City area.
This partnership is part of NYAM’s Culture, Humanities, and the Arts series. Through this series, NYAM aims to become a cultural center catering to the interests of the community, physicians and public health practitioners familiar with the positive effects of cultural programming on health outcomes, patrons of cultural programs, and NYAM Trustees, Fellows, and their associates.
"On behalf of New Heritage Theatre Group, we humbly accept the honor of being chosen as the first Artist-in-Residence at the historic New York Academy of Medicine,” Mr. Rivers said. “We look forward to integrating our multi-discipline creative programs with the Academy's mission, fusing culture, humanities, art, and public health."
"Voza Rivers brings great artistic credibility and a long, rich, and historical connection to the greater Harlem community," said Jo Ivey Boufford, NYAM President. "As NYAM's first Artist-in-Residence, Voza will enhance and enrich our role as a community resource for creative and talented artists and the many hundreds of New Yorkers who will benefit from their performances in this historic venue."
About Voza RiversVoza Rivers is a leading African-American theater, music, and events producer as well as an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Rivers is the Executive Producer and Founding Member of the New Heritage Theatre Group (established in 1964), the oldest Black nonprofit theater company in New York City. He is also Executive Producer and Co-Founder of the Impact Repertory Theatre, New Heritage Films, and the Harlemwood Film Festival. He has produced and co-produced theater, music, and television projects, film festivals, and music tributes in the United States, Japan, South Africa, and the UK.
His production credits include Mbongeni Ngema's TONY- and Grammy-nominated hit Broadway musical "Sarafina," the Obie-award winning "Woza Albert!”, "The Tragedy of Macbeth" and Romeo and Juliet" (featuring leading Black actors from the Royal Court Theatre Company and Royal National Theatre in England), the Tony-nominated "Asinamali!," the Obie-Award winning play the "Huey P. Newton Story" at the Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture in Harlem,AVANTI, blending opera jazz & symphonic orchestra featuring Kenn Hicks with Marcus Miller and Herbie Hancock at Jazz at Lincoln Center; God's Trombones featuring Craig Harris with special guest artist Avery Brooks at the Apollo Theatre, and several PBS, BBC, NBC and Starz Encore cable presentations, television and video shorts, specials, and documentaries.
About The New York Academy of MedicineThe New York Academy of Medicine advances the health of people in cities. An independent organization since 1847, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to policy leadership, innovative research, evaluation, education, and community engagement. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health; and to eliminate health disparities.
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