ARTSPEAK RADIO Estoy Aqui-I am Here

Wednesday, August 12, 2020, 12noon – 1pm CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd presents a special program with guests Gunard Polite, Annette Billings, Philip Blue Owl Hooser, and Mark Manning.

Estoy Aqui – I am Here
This pandemic has changed us. Uncertainty exists. We asked writers, poets, artists, performers, musicians, and the creative community to check in with us by sharing their thoughts, fears, success, beliefs, outrage, politics, creativity, etc. through recordings. Our contributors respond with poetry, short stories, music, or monologues, that capture the pain, humor, angst, joy, frustration, optimism, of their current mood.

GUNARD POLITE, President One Kansas City Radio-One Kansas City Radio unites the multicultural voices in the Kansas City Urban Core through programming and community services that entertain, educate, inform and inspire. One KC Radio will bring together the African American, Latino, and other underrepresented ethnic and cultural voices in Kansas City with music, culture, and information. We will provide information and a forum to deliver community services, job opportunities, health education and other messages that will serve our community and listeners. Through our programming and broadcast we will give a new and positive voice to the young adults in ethnic and cultural groups. Our station will also be an intentional outlet for local musicians and community members from all walks of life, not currently represented in radio in the growing Kansas City market. ONE KANSAS CITY RADIO | KONN 100.1 FM | 3921 Bell Street, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64111 816.535.0152 | onekcradio.org | [email protected]

ANNETTE BILLINGS is an African-American Kansas poet, playwright, actress and nurse, who now offers by sharing her poetry and prose. She has written two collections of poetry, one-act plays and numerous short stories.
Annette’s readers have dubbed her “the Maya of the Midwest,” a moniker she allows with all due humility and gratitude. Known for her performance delivery style, she has been received enthusiastically in many diverse venues.

Her first book of poems, A Net Full of Hope, garnered the Topeka, Kansas, 2015 ARTSConnect Arty Award for Literature.
Her second book, Descants for a Daughter, is a collection of affirmations/meditations and very timely.
Annette’s third and newest work, Just Shy of Stars, is now available!
www.anetfullofhope.com

PHILIP BLUE OWL HOOSER actor, playwright, director, teacher, and dramaturg. He has been on stage at The Rep, The Unicorn, the Coterie, Late Night Theater, Gorilla Theatre, Mystery Train Theatre, Just Off Broadway, The Fishtank, Musical Theatre Hertitage. His plays have been produced at The Unicorn, The Coterie, Gorilla Theatre, Late Night Theatre to name a few. Philip gives the preshow lectures at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, and is also the creative genius behind “Eat Their Words,” a live performance and reading of celebrity biographies in Kansas City. Philip does film pieces with Michael McQuary for KIFF and OM Film Fest. Philip Blue Owl Hooser is the co-host of The Tenth Voice on 90.1 FM – KKFI. Philip is also part of the team that produces the Out Here Now Film Festival.

MARK MANNING is currently serving as Coordinator of the KCK Organic Teaching Gardens, an Initiative of The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity, Health Careers Pathways Program, K-12. Each year Mark works with 1000 to 2000 students, between K through 8th grades, with organic, “raised bed” gardens built directly on the school grounds of three Middle Schools and four Elementary Schools in the inner city of the Kansas City, Kansas school district. Mark conducts over 300 workshops annually in classrooms at these schools. He started the project under the guidance of Marcia Pomeroy, in 1999, after working in a literacy program. The KCK Organic Teaching Gardens has been financially supported through grants from The Kauffman Foundation, and The University of Kansas Medical Center. The project has been recognized locally and nationally by The National Gardening Association, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Community Gardens, The Green Bliss Festival, The Urban Farm & Garden Tour, and on the PBS television program America’s Harvest.
Mark has volunteered at KKFI 90.1 FM since 2001. He served as Secretary on KKFI’s Board of Directors from 2004 to 2009. Mark also served as Host, Writer and Producer of The Tenth Voice from 2001 through 2009. The Tenth Voice, has been on KKFI’s airwaves continuously since 1990. While producing The Tenth Voice Mark revitalized and coordinated the Youth Radio Edition each month, inviting youth from Kansas City, Liberty, Raytown, Overland Park and Lawrence area high schools and middle schools, to produce and host their own programs. Mark received a Silver Reel Award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for “The AIDS Radio Show” a special broadcast he created with performers Lisa Cordes and Jon “Piggy” Cupit and Greg Hansen who served as producer of The Tenth Voice from 1990 through 1999. Mark is also the recipient of the 2010 Toastmaster Community Service Award.
Mark is also the co-founder of Big Bang Buffet a not-for-profit collective that since 1990 has created over 100 different productions presenting original and controversial performance art, theatre, art, spoken word, music, film and dance. With Big Bang Buffet Mark was the recipient of a Best of KC Theatre Award, a Rainbow Award and The Kip Weiner Award. Separate from Big Bang Buffet, Mark has worked as a freelance artist on over 100 productions at The Fishtank Performance Studio, The Unicorn Theatre, The Coterie, The Kansas City Rep, Quality Hill Playhouse, Theatre League, One Time Productions, Gorilla Theatre, Paul Mesner Puppets, The Storytellers Inc., The Midland Theatre, and Willow Productions. Mark has also served on the Board of Directors for Big Fragile Stage, Crosscurrents Culture, Friends of Community Radio, and The KC Free Speech Coalition. Mark is also a Writer, Performance Artist, and Teacher. Mark lives in KC with his partner Caleb.

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