ITSTOPIA aims to create connection for Black and Brown artists

 

“Our culture is rapidly growing digitally, bringing us out of our bodies and physical spaces.”

Artist Philli Irvin explains the need for artistic and creative experiences that go beyond the traditional relationship between artist and viewer, or performer and audience. This is part of the reason behind ITS Fest, one program within the broader Intro to Success (ITS, pronounced "its") collaborative. 

This year’s all-day festival, called “ITSTOPIA,” will take place August 27, 2 - 10pm, at the Northrup King Building in Minneapolis. Irvin says the theme is education but won’t go into detail on what the day itself will look like. Surprise has always been a large component of the event, and this year especially Irvin says it is designed to bring out attendees’ “inner child.”

ITS has hosted the annual ITS Fest every year since its founding, but the event is only a small part of the collaborative’s programming. Irvin founded ITS in 2016 at age 17, with his North Minneapolis neighborhood and peers in mind. 

 “I knew there were young, Black people like me out there who were interested in the arts, but then I recognized there weren’t many spots where we could come together and cultivate those interests,” he says.

 

Participants enjoying themselves at last year's ITS Fest. Photos courtesy of ITS FEST / Photographer: Awa Mally.

 

ITS Fest is meant to be a space for Black and Brown creatives to connect with each other, part of ITS’s broader purpose of providing resources, space, and funding for Black and Brown artists to grow and thrive in their careers. Each year’s theme reflects a different aspect of the organization’s goals. This year’s festival, “ITSTOPIA,” centers education. Irvin and his team of artists and collaborators within ITS partnered with Public Functionary to prepare for this year’s event.

Everyone on the ITS team had access to woodworking, music, and video production space, plus artist mentors who could provide specialized assistance. The theme of education extends to attendees at this year’s event. While Irvin doesn’t want to give too much away, he mentions the history of cultural and community organizations on the Northside and weaving together personal histories with the history of the broader community. 

"Because I am from a community of Black and Brown people," says Irvin, "I didn't know the importance of 'Naming the community to others that I am building and serving' because I was already a part of it. It wasn’t until we started expanding the reach of who we work and collaborate with that I realized the importance of taking ownership/naming the container of the community you're building so there could be clear pathways of involvement and respect from those who aren’t familiar with ITS work."

As promotion for ITSTOPIA notes, the festival is "by and for Black and Brown creatives. Everyone’s welcomed.”

 

Images from last year's ITS Fest. This year, organizers hope "to create an inner and out-of-body experience for the audience to release, be present, connect, express, and grow within themselves and each other through music, texture, technology, space,and literal voices of community via interactive installations." Photos courtesy of ITS FEST / Photographer: Awa Mally.

 

Beyond creating an immersive experience for local artists and creatives, ITS Fest is also meant to frame and facilitate ITS’s larger vision. Ultimately, Irvin and his team would like to have a year-round physical space for programming. This would be the ITS Factory, the wing of ITS that is currently responsible for all events and programming like ITS Fest. 

“We’re looking to have year-round programming in our own space, which would be a multidisciplinary maker space centered on experience,” said Irvin. “It would prioritize the same things that all of our current events do – connection, release, expression, and presence.”

The other component of the collaborative going forward will be ITS Agency, which Irvin and his team are currently getting off the ground with plans to launch next year. The agency would be a way for ITS to self-sustain and keep its programming free for the community. 

“Our agency will focus on being a bridge between organizations, businesses, community members, and Black and Brown artists that they’re working with,” said Irvin. “We want to provide a safe space for these artists and help make sure every project is something that’s mutually beneficial.”

Another goal is to open an educational program, which Irvin calls an “alternative place of higher learning.” Like many artists and creatives, Irvin went to a four-year college but didn’t find it particularly helpful for his long-term goals. 

“I always wanted to be doing the things I’m doing now,” he said. “Our goal is to take on a cohort of artists, figure out their goals, and work with them on a timeline and programming that fits those goals. The process will be similar to how our core team works together to realize ideas.”

For now, ITS Fest is only one aspect of the collaborative’s larger vision, but its goals – connection, presence, release, expression – are fully aligned with the core mission of providing space, networking, and resources for Black and Brown creatives in Minneapolis. ◼︎

 

The ITSTOPIA team. Philli Irvin is pictured in the top left corner. Photos courtesy of ITS Fest / Photographer: Rhianna Hajduch.

 

For more information on ITSTOPIA and to follow along with what comes next, visit ITS on Instagram. ITSTOPIA, this year’s festival, will take place on Saturday, August 27, 2 - 10pm, outside the Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55413. 

Banner graphic by Samson Melkamu, courtesy of ITS.