The Spinning Wheel, conceived by hip hop theater artist Baba Israel with UK based director Leo Kay and musician Yako 440, is a multimedia performance and interactive gallery exhibition that engages with the 50 year radical archive of Israel’s late father and Living Theatre alum steve ben israel. Through spoken word, video, and live music, the show preserves and animates the collectivist impulses of New York counterculture while carrying on a family legacy of generosity via a son’s loving tribute to his father.

steve ben israel was a New York jazz musician, poet, stand-up comic, political activist and core member of the iconic ensemble The Living Theatre. He passed away in 2012, leaving behind a legacy of 1960s countercultural work and artifacts, an enormous archive, and a son – New York Hip Hop Theatre Artist, Baba Israel.

Drawing on his father’s archival material for contextual inspiration and audio visual content, Baba collaborated with UK theatre maker Leo Kay, long time musical collaborator Yako 440, dramaturg Talvin Wilks and video artist Richard Ramchurn to create The Spinning Wheel, which will combine storytelling, hip hop, live-looping, projection mapping, and a fusion of Hip Hop, jazz and spoken word, reflecting on themes such as intergenerational connections, family legacy, political action, and the roles we play in the everyday lives of others.

Visit bricartsmedia.org for more info!