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The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs premiered The Way of Water—Miami, a groundbreaking, large-scale outdoor performance at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center Feb. 7, featuring the stories of Miami-Dade County employees who steward the county’s complex water system.
An interdepartmental collaboration between the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer, Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Office of Resilience, and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources-Division of Environmental Resources Management, the production featured Miami-Dade County frontline personnel as the main performers.
“Artists have incredible power to inspire and motivate us all. This groundbreaking theatrical production highlights and tells the significant story of our water network, one of our most important shared natural resources in Miami-Dade County,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
“Our dedicated County staff play a critical role as stewards of this important resource for our entire community, and I am delighted to see their daily efforts recognized and celebrated on stage. I am so proud of their work and for reminding us that we all play a role in maintaining and protecting our water and environment.”
As part of Mayor Levine Cava’s Arts Energize 305 strategic initiative to increase access to the arts and engage underserved populations, The Way of Water – Miami provided a unique and valuable opportunity to introduce a new population of Miami residents to the arts, inform audiences, and inspire action by working closely with other County departments and their staff. Featuring Miami-Dade County frontline staff, from wastewater plant operators to distribution field crews to canal maintenance specialists, and showcasing the skills and unique techniques employed by these workers, the production, in partnership with Forklift Danceworks, incorporated live music, video, and spoken word, to create an artistic production to tell a story around how Miami’s water keeps flowing safely.
“The Way of Water – Miami demonstrates the power of the arts to bring people together for civic discourse around common themes in everyday life. Arts and culture unite us and make our lives better. According to a national study by Americans for the Arts in Washington, D.C., 86 percent of Americans agree that the arts are important to our quality of life,” said Marialaura Leslie, Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. “When we embrace the arts, we build stronger more resilient communities.”
The Way of Water – Miami is directed by Allison Orr, Founder and Artistic Director of Forklift Danceworks, a Texas-based arts organization. “Having too much or too little water is a leading global issue for cities, government institutions, and individuals. Miami-Dade County is a leader in its frontline relationship with water and has a very important story to tell,” stated Orr.
As part of the performance Miami-Dade County employees were joined onstage by local artists including the Miami Sound Choir, Poet and Environmentalist Houston R. Cypress of the Otter Clan, renowned Meteorologist John Morales, along with Tiffany Troxler and fellow scientists from Florida International University. One hour prior to the performance there was a resource fair for guests to learn about related County services and local organizations.
The Way of Water – Miami was made possible with funding support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Office of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project as well as a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Forklift Danceworks received lead funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center, informally known as “The Moss Center,” is managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. The Center is dedicated to presenting and supporting arts and culture and providing access to the arts to the entire Miami-Dade County community. More information about the Center and its programs can be found at www.MossCenter.org.
About Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, diversity, access and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting equitable opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, and the Taft Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium and the Tourist Development Council. For more information visit www.miamidadearts.org.
