TACA Announces Reimagined Perforum Designed to Engage, Amplify and Inspire November 8, 2021

November 15 Symposium to be Staged in a New Dallas Design District Space, Livestreamed by KERA

DALLAS – TACA – The Arts Community Alliance – announced today that its annual arts symposium TACA Perforum will take place on Monday, November 15, from 4:30-8 p.m. at On the Levee in the Dallas Design District.  This year’s topic is REIMAGINE: The Future of the Arts and will examine the arts and culture community’s struggle with the dynamics of the pandemic, the nation’s racial justice reckoning, and the weight of uncertainty and change.

The symposium will spotlight who’s thriving in this new emerging world, as well as how traditional arts institutions – museums, symphonies, regional theaters, presenters and producers are adapting and disrupting in this environment.  Further, participants will ponder the role of the artist in the new landscape and how innovation looks at this moment and in the future.   The program will be livestreamed by KERA’s Art&Seek and accessible during the event at https://taca-arts.org/our-programs/service-programs/taca-perforum/.

“This year’s TACA Perforum has been designed to reflect the moment we’re living in, while also being more accessible to working artists and inclusive of the larger arts community in our area,” said Terry D. Loftis, Donna Wilhelm Family President & Executive Director.  “We look forward to a compelling conversation with a new time and format, and collaborators who are among the most thought-provoking artists, administrators and educators today.”

The creative director and moderator of this year’s event is Clyde Valentín, director of SMU Ignite/Arts Dallas: A Center for People, Purpose + Place.  He will be joined by panelists:

• Lauren Ruffin, Co-Founder, CRUX, Albuquerque, NM
• Robert Van Leer, Senior Vice President of Artist Planning, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
• Ilknur Ozgur, Founder & Director, Artstillery, Dallas, TX

The 2021 PERFORUM featured artists are:

• Vicki Meek, visual artist, Dallas, TX
• Jonathan Norton, playwright, Dallas, TX
• RonAmber Deloney (DJ Skinpolitik), DJ/poet/educator, Dallas, TX
• Michael Lagocki, artist facilitator, Dallas, TX

Perforum will take place at On The Levee, located at 1108 Quaker Street in the Dallas Design District. This year’s program:

4:30 – 5:00 p.m. – Opening Reception
5:00 – 6:45 p.m. – Perforum Program
6:45 – 7:30 p.m. – Networking Happy Hour
7:30 – 8:00 p.m. – Wrap Up

This year’s Perforum event is sponsored by Communities Foundation of Texas, Embrey Family Foundation, James and Gayle Halperin Foundation, Donna Wilhelm Family Fund, Ernst & Young, Metropolitan Press, Events Moderne, the Latino Cultural Center, Union Dallas, Jim and Joleen Chambers, and Zerbina Wines. Additional event partners include Break Bread, Break Borders and Recipe Oak Cliff.

Attendance for Perforum is free, but registration is required.  To register and learn more about the program, moderator, panelists and participating artists at taca-arts.org/perforum.

About TACA  

TACA – The Arts Community Alliance – supports excellence and impact in the arts through grant-making, capacity building, and thought leadership. TACA envisions an innovative, inclusive, sustainable cultural sector recognized for its essential contribution to a vibrant, prosperous community. Since its founding in 1967, TACA has worked to establish North Texas’ cultural community as one of the strongest in the nation. TACA’s growing investment in the arts translates to new premieres and productions, impactful residencies and community initiatives, and more opportunities for artists and audiences to connect – all striving to make Dallas a dynamic city and a great place to live and work.

For more information about TACA, call 214-520-3930 or visit taca-arts.org. Connect with TACA on Facebook at facebook.com/tacadallas, Twitter at @TACADallas or on Instagram at @TACADallas.