Mind Your Business Art

06/01/2026

JOB: Opportunity Alert!!!
SEEKING A TRANSLATOR

“Waiting for Godot”

What if Works, (WIW) a 501c not-for-profit organization offering artists in theatre, film and music a bridge between academic and professional performance while championing the arts to bring
about social change is currently seeking to commission a qualified translator to translate Samuel Beckett’s play, “Waiting for Godot” from English into Haitian-Creole.

What if Works is currently planning a triple-cast production with back-to-back performances in English, Spanish and Creole in the fall 2027. Permission has been granted by the Samuel Beckett
Estate in Paris to translate “Waiting for Godot” from English to Haitian-Creole under the condition that the translation be published following its stage production.

For more information about What if Works go to www.whatifworks.com.

Should you be a translator interested in learning more about this opportunity please contact Phillip M Church at [email protected] or call 3035-586-3919.

04/07/2026

Mind Your Business Art Mondays

Do Artists Have a Creative License to Use Profanity: A Lesson in Contracts, Conduct & Consequences.

We recently saw a real-world case that perfectly illustrates a critical principle in the business of art: A contract is not just about the performance—it’s about the promises that surround it.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., hired rapper Trick Daddy (Maurice Samuel Young) to perform at their convention. Knowing their brand and audience, they allegedly included a clear, non-negotiable clause in their contract: No foul language.

Trick Daddy signed the agreement. Then took the stage and performed his concert without adjusting his language and cursed.

The AKA’s response was swift and decisive: they cut his mic and refused to pay him.

Trick Daddy allegedly posted on social media, saying he was a man and that no one could censor his language.

💡 Three business takeaways for artists, agents, and buyers:

1. A signed contract is a bond, not a suggestion.
As an artist, your talent got you the gig. But your professionalism keeps it. If you agree to the terms—whether they are language, runtime, or setlist—honoring them is part of the job.

2. The buyer has a right to enforce brand safety.
For AKA, their reputation, values, and audience experience mattered more than the performance. Cutting the mic was not censorship—it was contract enforcement. Any organization paying for talent has the right to protect its brand.

3. Non-payment is a legitimate remedy for breach.
In the business of art, you get paid for delivering what was promised. If you materially breach the agreement (yes, using prohibited language qualifies), the buyer is typically off the hook for payment.

The bottom line:
Art is expression. Business is ex*****on. The two can coexist beautifully—but only when both parties keep their word.

03/21/2026

As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month, meet Detroit native Dr. Evelyn Collins, who has built a remarkable career at the intersection of theatre, arts education, and cultural leadership. A graduate of Detroit Public Schools’ Pershing High School, Collins went on to earn degrees from the University of Michigan, Columbia University, the College of New Rochelle, and Fordham University, where her doctoral research examined the impact of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

An accomplished educator and director, Collins taught in Ann Arbor before moving to New York City, where she helped transform Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Harlem and later founded the Denzel Washington School of the Arts in Westchester County—a performing arts magnet school serving grades 6–12. As a theatre director, she has staged more than 65 productions, including Dreamgirls, The Wiz, A Soldier’s Play, and three plays from August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, becoming the first high school theatre director to stage three of Wilson’s landmark works with student performers.

Collins is also the author of 10 Things Your Mama Should Have Told You and the creator of the musical Born to Sing. Her forthcoming children’s book, Princess Loves to Dance, will be released in May 2026.

Dr. Collins is currently developing the Onyx Center for the Arts, a multidisciplinary performing arts center dedicated to producing and presenting the work of artists of color while expanding equitable access to high-quality arts education. The center will provide youth and emerging artists with rigorous training, mentorship, and performance opportunities in theatre, music, and dance. Through professional productions, educational programs, and community partnerships, the Onyx Center will serve as a cultural hub that nurtures creative talent, strengthens Detroit’s artistic ecosystem, and preserves the rich legacy of Black arts and culture. K Zaheerah Sultan

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03/20/2026

Last week, 100 Michigan arts advocates gathered in Lansing for Michigan Arts Day, meeting with state legislators to make the case for continued investment in the creative economy.

Michigan’s creative economy contributes $20.5 billion annually and supports more than 144,000 jobs.

Our CEO Erin Harkey presented Governor Gretchen Whitmer with the 2026 Public Leadership in the Arts Award and shared key reminders before advocates headed into legislative meetings:

👉 Your stories matter as much as the data
👉 Advocacy is a 365-day activity
👉 State wins strengthen federal advocacy
👉 The real power is in this room

The message was clear: Budgets are values.

And Michigan is showing the rest of the country what’s possible when arts advocates organize with confidence and collective power.

Thank you to Alison Watson (Michigan Arts and Culture Council), Lauren Ward (Cultural Advocacy Network of Michigan), Greg Fiedler (Greater Flint Arts Council), and Hannah Berry (Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts), one of our Michigan State Captains joining us in Washington later this month for our first 2026 Federal Advocacy Fly-In.

This is what organizing for impact looks like!

03/19/2026

Meet Sheila Bassoppo-Moyo, a St. Louis-based arts leader using theatre to amplify the voices and lived experiences of older Black adults.

Bassoppo-Moyo co-founded The Black Aging Arts Theatre after a pivotal moment in the audience of a production that satirized the death of Emmett Till—an experience she found deeply troubling. Determined to create work that honors Black history with integrity, she partnered with Rosalynde Scott to launch the nonprofit, dedicated to storytelling rooted in dignity, memory, and community.

In addition to her leadership, Bassoppo-Moyo is an emerging playwright. Her work on Victoria Clay Haley—a Black suffragist who desegregated a St. Louis conference in 1914—was presented by the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop and will be recognized by the St. Louis branch of the American Association of University Women.

With early support from the Whitaker Foundation, the organization has already produced playwriting workshops for older adults, resulting in 12 original short plays drawn from personal histories and cultural reflections. Participants describe the experience as both inspiring and transformative.

Those stories will take the stage March 27–28, 2026, at the Emerson Theatre at Harris-Stowe State University. Admission is free.

03/06/2026

This is a keeper

So much Black Excellence in this picture, truly no caption needed! 🎥🎬

03/05/2026

Legendary dancer, choreographer, and cultural icon Debbie Allen recently sat down with The Black Wall Street Times to talk about the power of art to heal communities, preserve culture, and bring people together in times of uncertainty.

🔗 Read the full interview here: https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2026/03/03/art-is-how-we-remember-our-humanity-debbie-allen-on-healing-communities-through-dance-and-visual-arts/

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