OVERALL PERFORMANCE—Bridgette Perdue performs with dancers from CAPA High School. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
Bridgette Perdue believes that every person was created for something. The Pop and R&B artist put out a call for everyone to make their dream a reality during her “Wake Up And Dream” concert.
“Tonight’s about taking action,” said Perdue to her attentive audience. “It seems like the things we are most made for we shy away from and put things off. It’s time we wake up and do something. Sometimes it’s hard to take that first step because you think you have something to lose, but with support you can make it.”
SONG WRITER—Bridgette Perdue performs one of many songs she wrote.
The show was held at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture as part of the center’s fifth annual First Voice Music Festival.
The First Voice Music Festival is an interdisciplinary Black arts festival that ran at the August Wilson Center from May 17-25.
In addition to covers and original music performed by Perdue, “Wake Up and Dream” featured a live band of Pittsburgh-based musicians; mime Hotep the Artist, actor William Griffin and visual artist Darrell Kinsel.
EASY LISTENING—The evening was filled with many different kinds of music and songs. Here Bridgette Perdue performs one of her easy listening love songs.
“Bridgette is a contemporary of mine who is producing quality work in Pittsburgh and I welcomed the chance to work with her,” said Kinsel when asked why he wanted to be a part of the “Wake Up and Dream” movement.
Perdue came up with the idea for the concert about a year ago and presented her vision to the August Wilson Center when she applied for one of the center’s 2012-2013 fellowships.
MUSICIAN—Bridgette Perdue on keyboard and singing.
“I presented them with this idea and they said yes. It’s a dream come true to be a fourth generation fellow and to find myself performing at the August Wilson Center,” Perdue said.
Through the center’s fellowship program, local Black artists or those of African dissent will have new places to create and showcase their works of art, pursue individualized career development, participate in creative and collaborative marketing projects, strengthen community connections, acquire financial services and collect a regular stipend.
The fellowships are awarded for approximately one year. Fellows are chosen through a two phase peer review process involving preliminary and final selection panels comprised of regional arts professionals and August Wilson Center artistic directors. The fellowships can be awarded at any stage of the artist’s career from early to mature. Approximately five fellowships are awarded in the disciplines of music, dance, theater, visual arts, literary arts and interdisciplinary mediums.
DANCE—One of the dancers performs during one of Bridgette Perdue’s songs.
“The mission of the August Wilson Center is to preserve and present experiences of African American culture. The primary audience of our presentations is the African-American community,” said Sala Udin, former co-executive director of the August Wilson Center.
“Our fellows program serves as a two-way portal of info from the August Wilson Center to the youth population and it helps us to fulfill our mission as it also provides us with raw cultural material from which to create additional cultural artifacts,” Udin said.
In addition to Perdue, who won the fellowship in the music and disciplinary arts category, this year’s August Wilson Center Fellows are: Nikki Young, media arts; Joshua Wilder, theater; Nathan James, theater; and Marlana Vasser, visual arts.
Perdue will be a featured artist in the Genres & Generations Community Concert on June 23. The free concert, which begins at 2 p.m., will be held at the Kaufmann Center Hill House, 1825 Centre Ave.
(For more information visit www.bridgetteperdue.com or call 412-589-9144. For more information on the August Wilson Center Fellowship program, visit www.augustwilsoncenter.org.)
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