Southland Sessions

Southland Sessions is an innovative and culturally rich program aired by KCET in 2020. This unique show takes the pulse of the Southern Californian creative community, offering unprecedented access to artists and art organizations that have been impacted by current events. Each episode stands as a vivid snapshot of a city, its people and their art, compelled to still find a way to express themselves during trying times.

Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's profound impact on the creative community of Southern California, Southland Sessions provides an insightful platform for artists to share their craft with a broader audience, virtually. The central theme revolves around bringing physically isolated and socially starved audiences a much-needed dose of cultural, intellectual, and creative human connection.

Providing an essential service to the community, Southland Sessions seeks to celebrate the resilience of artists and their capacity to adapt and create amidst unprecedented circumstances. The episodes unfurl some of the most compelling voices from the Southern California arts community, highlighting their stories of survival and their resourceful pivot towards digital platforms for sharing their work.

The show is characterized by its impressive diversity, exemplifying the rich and varied artistic culture of Southern California. This eclectic artistic oasis features different art forms, including music, dance, visual arts, spoken word poetry, and much more. High-profile cultural institutions like The Broad Stage, CAP UCLA, Ford Theatre, and Pacific Symphony have partnered with KCET to bring this cultural mosaic to life. More than just a performance platform, Southland Sessions is an intimate look into the passion, talents, struggles, and triumphs of the artists themselves.

In the realm of music, Southland Sessions cover a broad spectrum. Classical symphonies collide with emerging indie bands, Latinx music meets jazz, creating a fusion of melodies that represent the unique and diverse musical landscape of the region. Viewers have the chance to witness exclusive, innovative, and exciting performances by musicians across this wide music spectrum, effectively turning their living rooms into a concert hall.

The dance community, another essential part of the Southland's arts landscape, is also explored. Dancers and choreographers across styles, from ballet to hip-hop, share insights into creative expression through movement. These performances aim to connect people through a shared sense of rhythm and space, transcending the constraints of quarantine and social distancing.

Similar diversity is visible in spoken word poetry and storytelling, another aspect showcased by the Southland Sessions. Themes range from confronting social injustices to personal narratives of love, loss, and identity. These performances enable dialogue, bringing resonating human experiences and unique perspectives to the fore, narrating the stories of our time.

Visual arts and theatre are also central to Southland Sessions. Viewers are treated to a mixture of stunning artworks, artists’ studio tours, curations of community projects, and behind-the-scene peeks into local theatres. Art lovers get a chance to marvel at the unique visions of visual artists, capture some valuable insights into their work processes, style, techniques, inspirations, and read the artist's relationship with their art as well as the world.

Interviews and discussions with significant figures within the community are also part of the program offering a deeper look into the dynamics of the arts scene and providing an informative and engaging dialogue about arts, culture, and society.

Southland Sessions is not just about showcasing Southern California's artistic talent; it's about telling a shared story of resilience, adaptability, and creativity in the face of adversity. It is a beautiful, nurturing reflection on our shared human spirit, contained within the boundaries of Southern California, but reverberating around the globe. The series is more than just an arts program - it is a chronicle of life, culture, and human endurance in a historical time, as told through the prism of the California arts community.

Overall, Southland Sessions gives viewers a front-row seat to the vibrant and versatile artistic endeavours unfolding in their communities, building bonds of empathy and shared experience. It serves as a reminder of the immeasurable value of arts in society, especially in times of crisis and change, and the power of storytelling in unifying and healing communities.