From storytellers on stage to bluegrass jam sessions and a Hip Hop Mardi Gras parade, Detroit’s grassroots arts scene is part of the creative momentum driving the future of Detroit. This new documentary explores the impact of these artists and the Knight Arts Challenge, which is fueling many of their ideas.
“Acres of Diamonds: The Story of the Knight Arts Challenge in Detroit” follows the projects of local artists after they receive challenge funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to make their ideas to reality. They include Haleem Rasul, who is intent on reviving Detroit’s 70s dance craze The Jit; Complex Movements, a collaborative that meshes art and technology for an immersive experience; LO & BEHOLD! Records and Books, an independent store that hosts live music events; Mt. Elliott Makerspace, which joined with two other local groups for the Hip Hop Mardi Gras Parade; and the Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers, which produces lives events of Detroiters’ true stories.
Find out more about the challenge at KnightArts.org.
The film is produced by Knight Foundation and directed by Dennis Scholl and Kirmaya Cevallos.
