All fans of rivers, films, local beverages and the Richmond Folk Festival are invited to this “launch party” before festival weekend!
This year’s festival will feature “Riverlore,” a program exploring life on, under, and along the James River and Virginia’s other mighty waterways presented by the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities.
Join five “Riverlore” artists for a three-part film screening and discussion that will inspire you to consider the many layers of significance to the waters around us. Featuring the Virginia premiere of “Ancient New,” a project exploring the New River through film, dance, song, and story by North Carolina-based artists Tom Hansell, Julie Shepherd-Powell, and Trevor McKenzie.
Free; no RSVP required.
Program
6PM – 6:15PM | Reclaiming the River: African American Life on Historic Rivers by Horace Scruggs , III
A journey, by paddle, into the history of the James River led by musician, educator, and filmmaker Horace Scruggs, III. Horace is descended from people enslaved on the Bremo Plantation, located on the banks of the James, and works to help resurface African American river legacies and increase access to our waterways.
6:15PM – 6:55PM | Ancient New: Exploring the Oldest River in North America by Tom Hansell, Trevor McKenzie & Julie Shepherd-Powell
Virginia premiere featuring live music, dance & 35mm film projections
Ancient New is a multi-media presentation that tells the story of human interaction of the New River through song, story, and dance. This project is a collaboration between filmmaker Tom Hansell, musician Trevor McKenzie, and dancer Julie Shepherd-Powell. Hansell has spent the past decade documenting life along the New River valley. During this live media performance, he will provide context for the images with spoken word, while McKenzie and Shepherd Powell provide a live soundtrack, weaving traditional songs punctuated with flatfoot dance from riverside communities.
7PM – 7:30PM | ALL FORWARD! Becoming an Urban Raft Guide by Justin Black, Headwaters Down
The James River flows through downtown Richmond and offers the country’s only class IV urban rapids. This film by Justin Black – guest curator for “Riverlore” at this year’s Richmond Folk Festival – takes you on the river, and into the rafts as you follow a cohort of prospective raft guides through training.
7:30PM – 8PM | Q&A with “Riverlore” on Film Artists
“Riverlore” is presented by the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities and the James River Association, with additional curatorial support from Justin Black (Headwaters Down).
