ATLANTA – Now in its fourth year, First Voices Festival is coming full circle with more opportunities for Indigenous communities and Atlanta patrons. By inviting new collaborators, offering dynamic programming and more access to a variety of activities, new and returning guests are sure to enjoy these celebrations of Indigenous cultures.

The festival opens on November 14 with Art of Activism, a night of storytelling, music and traditional foods at 7 Stages with special guest William Harjo, a Muscogee (Creek) Elder who presents all over the country. A preshow reception in the lobby provided by food vendor and chef Tina Reyes (Apache) of Rez Juice brings us authentic sweet and savory Fry Bread and lemonade.

On November 15 and 16, the energy really picks up with a two day outdoor Powwow presented by Zintkala Zi PowWow, which is led by Buffalo Yellowbird, a citizen of Oglala Lakota Nation. The Powwow includes traditional drummers and dancers, traditional foods (fry bread, buffalo burgers, roasted corn, etc.), Indigenous vendors (jewelry, arts and crafts), demonstrations, and storytelling. Entry to these events is free, they are family friendly, and everyone is welcome.

On November 21, Out of Hand Theater will present Say Their Names at 7 Stages, which features  interwoven film and live performances written by Marcie Rendon, acclaimed author and citizen of the White Earth Nation. Following the presentation will be a community conversation about the lack of media representation for victims in marginalized communities, and how we can create a collective framework for continued dialogue, healing, and action.

First Voices Festival will conclude with a screening of the documentary She Cried That Day at Plaza Theatre on November 28. Director Amanda Erickson, a member of the San Carlos Apache, grew up in Peachtree City and earned her film degree at Georgia State University. Her film is about missing and murdered Indigenous women in New Mexico. This event will also feature a post-show conversation with Erickson.

These events are brought to you by 7 Stages, Turtle Island Trading, Little 5 Points Cultural District, Zintkala Zi PowWow, Plaza Theatre and Out of Hand Theater.

 

History and context:

 First Voices Festival began in 2022 when a few Atlanta organizations put their heads together to produce a multifaceted festival celebrating Indigenous cultures, something they weren’t seeing locally. At the center of these events was the Powwow, a traditional gathering with dance, music, food and socializing that originated among Native American tribes on the Great Plains.

For some, gathering in Atlanta marks a return to ancestral lands. Areas of what are now Georgia and Alabama were the territory of Muscogee (Creek) people, until many were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma in the 1800s where they were exposed to Plains Powwow traditions. Today Powwows are popular all over the United States and Canada, and many people wanted to see such an event in the heart of Atlanta.

Other events at First Voices Festival have included storytelling, talks, shared meals, concerts, and film screenings. All of these events celebrate Indigenous traditions and aim to bring awareness to the First Peoples of these lands, who are still here, and issues confronting them today.

 

About 7 Stages:

7 Stages brings local, national, and international emerging artwork of social, political, and spiritual importance to Atlanta audiences. Since 1979, artists of all kinds have found 7 Stages to be a haven for the development of new work.

7 Stages has resided on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Muscogee (Creek) people for over 46 years. While we produce content that spans nationally and internationally, it is essential for us to keep such inequities at the forefront of all that we do. We aim to honor these communities past, present and future through conversations, practices and programming that imagines and initiates what reparations look like for all. For every ticket sold, we include an Indigenous land use fee. The proceeds are donated to our Indigenous partners annually.

Our Mission: 7 Stages is a professional, non-profit theatre company devoted to engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture. 7 Stages gives primary emphasis to international work and the support and development of new plays, new playwrights, and new methods of collaboration.

Our Vision: Our theatre will be a global center for the creation of vital conversations through collaborative performance.

 

Vitals: 

First Voices Festival

A celebration of Indigenous cultures.

November 14-28, 2025 in Atlanta, GA

Learn more at https://www.7stages.org/shows/first-voices-festival-2025/

Press inquiries: email devi@7stages.org

Photos and graphics available by request

Dear beloved community, we recently invited you to activate your voices in artistic protest – to create and heal through the power of art. THANK YOU for your inspiring responses. Keep them coming. 

It is an honor to invite you to some upcoming projects that are specific opportunities to get involved ASAP!  While proposals for Curious Sensory Encounters are a refreshing vehicle to explore artistic protest, we are eager to be in vital conversations on mental health and identity with our longtime friend Parris Sarter in Eunice in Paris,  the newest work in our Home Brew Series. Further, True North shines a light on the latest scientific research combined with ancient practices which enable each of us to ground ourselves in the midst of uncertainty. Together we WILL continue to create – there will be singing in these dark times. We have so much encouragement as we collectively envision a future of global healing and opportunity. Our stages are yours, see you soon! 

– Heidi S Howard, 7 Stages Artistic Director

Eunice in Paris – A Presentation of New Work as Part of 7 Stages’ Home Brew Series – January 27-28, 2024

Performance Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 5:30 PM, & Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 3:00 PM followed by post-show Art of Activism dialogue.

7 Stages will begin 2024 with a presentation of Eunice in Paris, a presentation of new work as part of our Home Brew Series. Set in the 1980s in the Parisian nightclub Theatre Olympia, Nina Simone is confronted with her choices and relives experiences with James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, her parents and others in a piece that crescendos with an existential look into her mental health, her choices, and of course the motivations behind her music and songwriting.

This production, in development with Hush Harbor Lab, was performed at The Atlanta Black Theatre Festival in 2022. Now, a revised presentation will hit the 7 Stages Backstage Theatre with Parris Sarter as Nina Simone. Written by Amina S. McIntyre, and directed by Thandi DeShazor.

This presentation is part of 7 Stages’ Home Brew Series, which provides a platform and resources for works in development that exhibit promise, stimulation, and provocation. Performances will take place January 27 and 28 at 7 Stages, accompanied by Service Saturday and Art of Activism programs. Learn more and get tickets at 7Stages.org/shows/eunice-in-paris-2024

Service Saturday – Jan. 27 from 2-5 PM before Eunice in Paris performance

Service Saturdays aim to help our community thrive by providing vital resources like food, clothing, and personal protection equipment, while bringing together local community-driven organizations under one roof. We have often collaborated with artists to make our Service Saturdays as entertaining as they are enlightening. These events are always complimentary, and they will continue to provide valuable resources to people of our community.

Guests on January 27 include LifeSouth Blood Donation Centers, New Georgia Project, Fulton Co Board of Health, and Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative. Refreshments provided by Sip & Share Wines.

Art of Activism – Jan. 28 from 4-6 PM after Eunice in Paris performance

Art of Activism brings together community experts, artists and patrons for powerful conversations. Throughout the year, community members gather to discuss social justice, othering, and the prevalence of intolerance.

Conversations are often related to a specific 7 Stages production, but always cover topics of the utmost social importance and relevance. You don’t have to see the production to participate in the Art of Activism dialogue but we encourage participants to do so to fully understand how the art connects to the community conversations.

The January 28 Art of Activism will follow a presentation of Eunice in Paris, relating to the themes and development of the production.

True North – March 2024

Atlanta playwright Lee Nowell’s play True North first came to 7 Stages as part of our Home Brew @ Home Series in 2020, and is now being developed as a full stage production. This scientific theatrical experience asks audiences to consider the things around them that they can’t see, like electromagnetic energy and the way we interact with it, in addition to the way it affects all of us. 

All compasses point to Magnetic North, but Magnetic North is currently moving erratically – averaging 34 to 40 miles per year- and humans feel it. When magnetic fields move erratically, the part of our brain that makes ethical decisions becomes impaired, and our health can be compromised.

Developed in partnership with a NASA scientist, the project illuminates the dedicated work of scientists from around the world. TRUE NORTH is a creative exploration of the forces that interconnect us, and the ways we can accept and work within them to stabilize ourselves internally and create a more just, peaceful world. Characterizations of Magnetic North and the Noosphere are paired with relatable everyday Joe and a scientist speaking her truth. The show is a guidebook, combining the latest scientific research with ancient practices from cultural traditions which enable each of us to ground ourselves in the midst of uncertainty.

Curious Sensory Encounters – May 2024

7 Stages’ wildly popular recurring (yet ever-changing) immersive journey explores all of the intricacies of a particular theme with numerous performances and installations throughout the theatre. This year, we will explore the senses, as related to Ilya Kaminsky’s book Deaf Republic. Artists of various disciplines will create artistic responses to the book and general theme, resulting in a wide range of experiences for patrons.

Applications for artists of many disciplines open through March 4, 2024 at 7Stages.org/shows/curiousencounters

Youth Creates – June 24 – July 27, 2024

In its twenty-second year, 7 Stages’ summer theatre training program for teenagers will take students on a journey through every facet of live theatre production–from writing scripts to performing on stage, and all of the technical aspects in between.

Learn more about Youth Creates and apply at 7Stages.org/ourprograms/youth-creates