YIELD | WE BELONG TO THE LAND
THE CULTIVATION OF YIELD: WORLD PREMIERE!!!
BREAKING NEWS!
SPARK!’s first large-scale community project, YIELD | WE BELONG TO THE LAND, was a runaway success, marking a new era for the performing arts in Oklahoma City.
Responding to the effects of the pandemic and an era of fear, loss and injustice that further fractured and siloed our community, a diverse group of 25 Oklahoma artists came together to explore the importance of – and our connection to – the land beneath our feet. Through a blending of music, poetry, dance, theater, visual art, and the Humanities, SPARK! Creative Lab celebrated the land and people of Oklahoma City, in all its complex glory.
Directed by Award-winning filmmaker and SPARK! company member Zachary Burns, The Cultivation of YIELD documents how this creative exploration blossomed into the free public performance of YIELD: We Belong to the Land to a sold-out crowd at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in May 2022. Premiering at the 2023 deadCenter Film Festival!
Viewing available only to those with a deadCenter pass - find out more here!
Showtimes:
Friday, June 9th, 8:00 PM Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Sunday, June 11th, 2:30 PM Harkins Bricktown 16
Want to learn more about YIELD? Scroll to enjoy videos and the live performance program.
YIELD | FULL PERFORMANCE
VIDEO
YIELD’S success demonstrates the power of diverse artists working with the public to create meaning and bring healing to a fractured and traumatized community.
YIELD | WE BELONG TO THE LAND, Copyright 2022, SPARK! CREATIVE LAB. Conceived and directed by Nicole Poole & Jessica Ray; developed by SPARK! Creative Lab and the community of Oklahoma City. Commissioned by Oklahoma Contemporary and inspired by “Nature, Sweet Nature” by Artist Maren Hassinger. ALL EVENTS FREE OF CHARGE THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF FOUNDING SPONSORS GLENNA & DICK TANENBAUM. YIELD was funded in part by Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.
PREMIERE PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
This land is part of who we are - we are literally the yield of the ground beneath us. YIELD explores the overlapping spaces between our past, our current reality, our shared humanity and our imagination. It is designed to strengthen connections between a place and its people during a time of isolation, division, and uncertainty.
NICOLE POOLE, SPARK! CREATIVE LAB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
