Station Hope 2015

Back for a second year, Station Hope is a free one-night-only multi-arts event that celebrates the triumphs of the Underground Railroad, the history of St. John’s Church and contemporary struggles for freedom and justice. Staged in and around the historic church, Station Hope is a jubilant, immersive community event, featuring original work created by professional and community-based artists from across Northeast Ohio, working across many disciplines to address some of the most important issues of our time. Station Hope will take place Saturday, May 9, 2015 and is a free, all-ages event.

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We will stage this event on one of the most historically significant sites in Greater Cleveland – St. John’s Episcopal Church or, as it was known on the Underground Railroad, “Station Hope.” Audiences will tour through St. John’s sanctuary, parish hall, and intricate basements to view an array of short performances of dance, theatre, storytelling, and music. Visual art displays and interactive art activities will help shape the audience experience, while choral performances will provide a powerful soundscape for the outdoor spaces in and around the church.

As a church active in the Underground Railroad, St. John’s Episcopal Church was a last stop for fleeing slaves seeking their freedom across the waters of Lake Erie and its steeple acted as a beacon of freedom. In celebration of this meaningful history, and in recognition of present day struggles for freedom and justice, Station Hope will feature a diverse selection of theatre and performance ensembles, with a special focus on presenting African American performance ensembles from the Northeast Ohio region. Other featured groups include Restore Cleveland Hope, Teatro Publico de Cleveland (the first and only Latino theatre ensemble in our city), Lake Erie Ink (a poetry space for youth) and over 30 other companies and 150 individual artists creating original work to addresses issues of equity and social change.

Other Station Hope performances will feature children from Cleveland Public Theatre’s Brick City Theatre program at Lakeview Terrace public housing. These performances will draw family members and other residents from Lakeview Terrace (within walking distance of St. John’s Church), along with other longtime residents of Cleveland’s Ohio City and surrounding neighborhoods, real-estate developers, business owners and government leaders.

“Station Hope is a true gathering of community and demonstrates how transformative and powerful an arts experience can be, and its potential to change the fabric of our society.”
-- Hon. Joe Cimperman, Ward 3 Councilman