What is East Bay: Redline Redefined about?
In the 1930s, the federal government carved The East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley and surrounding towns) into a series of puzzle pieces–imaginary lines were drawn down streets, dividing neighborhoods, families, and entire populations of Oakland residents. This practice, known as “redlining,” discouraged investments in certain neighborhoods, making it exceedingly difficult for much of The East Bay’s low-income and people of color to receive basic necessities. The boundaries of these redlined districts show a striking social chasm — in which one’s ability to receive healthcare, schooling, or even access to basic necessities could be determined by the street you lived on. Nearly a century later, the exact same puzzle pieces spell out a story of a new East Bay: one in which renewed demand for city center properties has led to the continued exclusion of victims of the redlining era. East Bay: Redline Defined will explore the balance between the past and present — presented as a series of audio narratives composed as neighborhood-specific walks, audience members will traverse history though the words, music, and field recordings of local residents, tying the legacy of redlining to the challenges faced by modern day East Bay residents. 

East Bay: Redline Redefined is the first in the Redline Redefined series. This project will start in the East Bay and make its way to other formerly redlined cities in the Bay Area. East Bay: Redline Redefined is an audio and visual piece designed to be physically experienced walking through Oakland and Berkeley’s Historical streets. Via either mobile web or a pre-downloaded file, participants will hear the world with a brand new set of ears. Audience members will walk the map drawn by city planners in the 1930s, stopping at corners to listen to stories, music, poetry, and vivid sound design, all created by an experienced and diverse roster of professional East Bay artists. Each movement of the piece takes its audience to a different neighborhood, highlighting a variety of voices, family structures, and different aspects of redlining’s significant presence. For those who cannot physically attend a performance, a fully-functional virtual walking tour will be accessible online, as well as additional resources, transcripts, and translations. 

East Bay: Redline Defined encourages its audience to take a second look at who is included and excluded from conversations about development in modern-day East Bay. We believe that the most effective way for audiences to understand who benefits and loses from urban restructuring is by listening to neighborhoods through new ears. This is neither a symphony nor history tour–it’s a unique artwork that will prompt its audience to consider the foundation on which the East Bay cities are built.

ARTISTS CONFIRMED SO FAR:

Suki O’Kane’s piece will delve into the history of her neighborhood through a geo-located sonic tour, as a series of outdoor environmental projections, and an outdoor performance on the former site of 9th Avenue Pier.

Sudhu Tewari will interview people in his neighborhood and use their voice to create the building blocks of his electroacoustic work. These voices will also be added to his Sound Garden, an ongoing installation, where his own property is used for the community to interact and gather with.

Theresa Wong hopes to interview Betty Reid Soskin to use as the basis for her installed song, which will be a combination of visual media with text, music and song form to create her piece.
 
PAID OPPORTUNITY.
WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL IN FUNDING THIS PROJECT.

Brief project overview:

Thingamajigs presents East Bay: Redline Redefined, a series of audio narratives that explore the cruel history and lasting effects of redlining. Commissioned artists who live in redlined neighborhoods will create audio pieces that allow the listener to walk through communities affected by redlining.

Organization background:

This project was developed in response to COVID-19, and the many ways it made pre-existing injustices between Bay Area populations all the more visible. Our goal is to utilize a medium that allows for a socially-distance, intimate tour of the East Bay, curated by local artists and in collaboration with community members. While we hope this project will prompt folks from all over the Bay Area to consider their relationship to redlining, we’re designing East Bay: Redline Redefined to be a true community effort–to educate, invigorate, and creatively inspire immediate locals.

Project Goals:

We are looking for sound/multi-media artists who currently reside in formerly redlined areas in the East Bay.

If you have a proposal for an audio piece that deals with redlining in your neighborhood, please apply below.

Can include visuals, but must have an audio component.

Timeline:

Jan 29 – Submissions from artists due

March – Decisions made and artists are contacted

September – Project launched

Location:

East Bay, preferably in a formerly redlined neighborhood.

Commission:

Most commissions will range between $1,000 – $2,000 depending on scope of project.

Are you interested in joining our project? Want to help bring awareness of this terrible practice that still affects people today?

Apply below and we can start a conversation, and if you have any questions, feel free to email us.

Main point of contact: Erica erica@thingamajigs.org