Out Loud, an art market and variety show created by people of color, will be coming to The PIT Chapel Hill comedy club this Saturday. The event is a part of HERE, a festival that hopes to bring representation and diversity to the arts and comedy.
Shea Stanley is organizing the HERE festival and the Out Loud event as a part of her Honors thesis. She created the event to foster an inclusive environment that allows anyone to perform or showcase their talents in the arts.
“A lot of times, the people that are in charge of putting on events only put on events with people that look like themselves,” Stanley said. “It’s important to be aware of that and change who gets to be on stage.”
Stanley is partnering with UNC Creatives of Color to put on Out Loud. Noni Shemenski, a comedian and member of Creatives of Color, will be hosting the event. Shemenski created the Comedy in Color showcase and has hosted various shows, including Bassem Youssef at Memorial Hall last year.
“There’s just not a lot of spaces on campus for people of color to perform or for people to see people of color performing,” Shemenski said. “We just wanted to create a space where people of color can express themselves artistically.”
The event will begin with a market where people can buy various pieces of art made by people of color, followed by a variety show that includes comedy, poetry and music. Shemenski hopes Out Loud will emphasize the importance of representation, diverse artistic expression and value in supporting artists of color.
“I hope people will leave energized and excited to continue supporting people of color in the arts,” Shemenski said. “We’ve got a marketplace as well, so I hope people will come buy things and support artists of color. Even by buying a ticket, people are supporting artists.”
The event will take place at The PIT Chapel Hill on Franklin Street. The PIT’s artistic director, Will Purpura, is excited for The PIT to become a space where new and diverse artists can express themselves.
“I think it’s important to celebrate diversity, especially within the comedy community,” Purpura said. “We want to hear different voices.”
