Prof. Thomas F. DeFrantz discusses The Bullcity Black Theater Festival on WUNC-FM's "The State of Things"

Listen to the podcast here: http://wunc.org/post/bullcity-black-theater-festival-celebrates-black-art-and-black-joy#stream/0

Throughout modern history the work of African-American artists has often been appropriated for the financial and cultural gain of those outside the black community. Black artists bare their souls to create provocative art, but their work is sometimes tokenized or categorized as being just "black art." At the Bullcity Black Theater Festival in Durham, black artists are challenging perceptions of their work through performances and community conversations. 

On March 21, 2018, Host Frank Stasio speaks with two Durham-based artists participating in those conversations. Monét Noelle Marshall is a director, playwright, choreographer and art consultant whose latest performance piece “Buy My Soul And Call It Art” explores the valuation of black art. Thomas F. DeFrantz is a professor in the department of African and African American studies at Duke University and the director of SLIPPAGE, a research and performance group at Duke that will present a conversation at the festival about the framing and appropriation of black art.

The festival runs through Sat. March 24 at Manbites Dog Theater in Durham.