2020 Conference Artists
This year, Bioneers welcomes an incredible array of artists to the virtual stage- from live performances to panels, keynotes and films, tune in to experience cutting-edge artivists working at the intersection of art and social change.
CLICK HERE to register for the 2020 Virtual Bioneers Conference
To see artists who’ve participated in past conferences, check out our Engaged Arts Page.
Rising Appalachia
Rising Appalachia is an American folk music group led by multi-instrumentalist sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith.
Leah will be participating in Guayaki’s panel Come To Life: Inspiring the Regenerative Movement Through Arts and Activism
Read our interview with Rising Appalachia here
Alfred Howard
A prolific spoken-word artist, writer, and co-founder of The Redwoods Music, a San Diego record label and collective, currently pens lyrics for 8 bands and performs homemade percussion with six. In his early 20s he caravanned with musicians all across the county before finally setting roots in San Diego, where he has become a leading figure in that city’s musical community. He is the author of 2 books, including The Autobiography of No One; writes articles for several leading San Diego newspapers and magazines; and has written lyrics for over 30 released albums.
Alfred will be participating in Guayaki’s panel Come To Life: Inspiring the Regenerative Movement Through Arts and Activism
Luke Wallace
Luke Wallace is a Canadian folk-singer known for his politically charged lyrics and his deep engagement in current social movements, including performing at youth climate and other demonstrations. His message-driven songwriting and powerful delivery have landed him slots at Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, Vancouver Island Music Festival, The Vancouver Folk Festival and an opening slot for the global roots band Rising Appalachia. His 5th, most recent album, released in 2020, is What on Earth.
Luke will be participating in Guayaki’s panel Come To Life: Inspiring the Regenerative Movement Through Arts and Activism
Raury
Raury (i.e. Raury Deshawn Tullis) is a 24-year old American singer-songwriter and rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, known for his eclectic, innovative, experimental sound that mixes soul, hip hop and folk influences. His debut mixtape Indigo Child in 2014, put him on the global musical map, and a number of his songs have appeared in the soundtracks of major movies and TV shows and he has collaborated with many major stars, including Lorde and Macklemore. His albums include All We Need and Fervent.
Raury will be participating in Guayaki’s panel Come To Life: Inspiring the Regenerative Movement Through Arts and Activism
Naima Penniman
Naima Penniman, an artist, activist, healer, grower and educator committed to planetary health and community resilience, is the co-founder of WILDSEED Community Farm and Healing Village, a Black and Brown-led intentional community focused on ecological collaboration, transformative justice, and intergenerational responsibility. She is also: Program Director at Soul Fire Farm, dedicated to supporting the next generation of B.I.P.O.C. (Black/Indigenous/people of color) farmers; the co-founder/co-artistic director of Climbing PoeTree, an internationally-acclaimed performance duo; a Thai Yoga Massage practitioner; and a member of Harriet’s Apothecary, a collective of Black women-identified healers.
Naima is performing on Dec 13
Thrive Choir
The Thrive Choir, an Oakland-based singing group affiliated with Thrive East Bay, a purpose-driven community focused on personal and social transformation, is composed of a diverse group of vocalists, artists, activists, educators, healers, and community organizers directed by musicians Austin Willacy and Kyle Lemle. They have performed their original fusion of gospel, soul and folk in a wide range of settings, including: marches, conferences and festivals across California.
Thrive will be doing a closing performance on December 13th
www.thriveeastbay.org/thrivechoir
Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company
The Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company’s extraordinary energy, brilliant choreography and inspired lyrics have been rocking the house at Bioneers for many years. A program of Destiny Arts Center, an Oakland-based violence prevention/arts education nonprofit, the company is a multicultural group of teens that creates original performance art combining hip-hop, dance, theater, martial arts, song, and rap. It has performed locally and nationally since 1993 and has been the subject of two documentary films. DAYPC’s artistic directors are: Sarah Crowell & Rashidi Omari.
Destiny Arts will be performing on Dec 5th
Check out our interview with Sarah Crowell
Motus Theater
Motus Theater‘s mission is to create original theater to facilitate dialogue on the critical issues of our time. By telling “moving stories that move us forward,” Motus Theater uses the power of art to build alliances across diverse segments of our community. Its most recent work is: UndocuAmerica, an autobiographical storytelling project that aims to interrupt dehumanizing portrayals of immigrants by sharing the personal stories of undocumented leaders. The UndocuAmerica Monologues were created in a 17-week collaborative process between Motus Theater’s Artistic Director, Kirsten Wilson, and undocumented community leaders with D.A.C.A. (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
Motus Theater is performing on Dec 12th
