Artist Bio:

Harlem KW Project, LLC is a company created by Jaylene Clark, Hollis Heath, Janelle Heatley, and Chyann Sapp. In November 2010 these four young ladies collaborated to create the original play, “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale,” which is a reflection on gentrification in Harlem through a fusion of spoken word poetry, theatre, dance, and song. The play uniquely tells the story of three young women’s love affair with Harlem from youth to young adulthood while also exploring the conflicts the women have in coming to terms with their rapidly changing neighborhood. With this play Harlem KW Project, LLC wants people to realize the importance of preserving and supporting local arts culture despite the changes that are affecting the neighborhood. They also want to motivate people to become civically involved in their communities and engage in dialogue about the issues. All four members of this company are writers/actresses/directors/producers under 25 years old. The mission of Harlem KW Project, LLC is to use artistic expression to cultivate, create, and encourage a local arts culture. Through collaborations with various arts organizations in Harlem and beyond, educational and theatrical workshops, performances, and community events, we hope to motivate communities to support the arts, especially in their own neighborhoods. Harlem KW Project, LLC is a proud member of the Harlem Arts Alliance.

Why do you want to participate in the Harlem Arts Festival?

We want to participate in the Harlem Arts Festival because we have such a passion for Harlem. It is where we grew up and it is our home. There are so many changes happening in Harlem, some positive, some negative, but overall what we want to do is preserve the culture through the arts. The four of us are artists so being a part of a festival that combines our love for art and our love for Harlem would be a tremendous honor. Professionally, being a part of this festival will put us in contact with the very people that we aim to collaborate with to support the mission of Harlem KW Project, LLC. This would just be a wonderful opportunity for us in more ways than one.