Visit Facebook Page for New Tomashi Jackson Project

With public policy analyst Nia Evans, Public Interventions Prospectus artist Tomashi Jackson has a new undertaking, the FRAMES DEBATE PROJECT. For FRAMES, Tomashi and Nia plan to use a multimedia policy debate platform to explore intersections of inadequately provided mental health care, addiction and drug policy in major cities in Massachusetts. Tomashi will produce a mixed-media sculpture installation and video collage to create a visually engaging space distinct from other formal debate forums.  Jackson and Evans will work with community-based debate coaches and their teams at each site to collect digital imagery and narratives that are relevant to their gathered data on drug policy, addiction, mental illness and incarceration in Massachusetts. Tomashi plans to use multi-channel photography and short video compositions , digitally projected onto vertical surfaces, to effectively immerse the debate participants in vivid reflections from the impacted communities. The goal is to influence the ongoing public and private discourse by visualizing local narratives and reframing the issues with progressive research and without shame.

FRAMES has a new Facebook page that includes documentation of Artists in Context’s first sponsored event associated with the project: The Anonymous People film screening and discussion on April 28, 2014 at the Harvard Divinity School.  The Anonymous People is a feature documentary film by Greg Williams about the over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from addition to alcohol and other drugs. Discussants included Williams; Jackson; Michael Curry, President of the NAACP Boston Branch; Laurie Martinelli, Executive Director, National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) Massachusetts; and Hannah Martinez, President, NAMI Dorchester/Mattapan/Roxbury. Evans served as moderator.  Artists in Context’s next FRAMES-related public event occurred in October 2014 in Lynn, MA.