| In
2006-2007, Kevin Kane and a cast of twelve created Flesh and Blood
in response to the monumental Keiskamma Altarpiece, then on view
at UCLA. The moving hip-hop dance-theater piece told the story
of a young boy living with HIV in Hamburg, South Africa, where
the altarpiece was created. Kane traveled there himself to bring
that reality into clearer focus.
Kane’s piece had such a strong impact that when the altarpiece
left, Flesh and Blood took on a new life.
A year after its first run, it was reworked to
focus on HIV/AIDS in the city of Los Angeles. What resulted was
an invigorating production that forced audiences to think about
stigma, personal choices, AIDS fact and fiction, and obstacles
still to be tackled.
In its second phase Flesh and Blood made its way into the Los
Angles Unified School District. Performance in nearly a dozen
local high schools reached thousands of youth and engaged them
in dialogue. Kane and his collective demonstrated the artist’s
vital role in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic, by functioning as
expert communicator. In that role, the Flesh and Blood artists
not only disseminated information, but invited youth to have a
deep and meaningful interaction with issues affecting their daily
lives.
This project was made possible in part by support from the Flourish
Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
For more pictures on this project, please click here
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