Michael Simanga Page! 1 Michael Simanga 2599 Essex Lane S.W. 404-202.9743 Atlanta, Georgia 30331 msimanga@aol.com EDUCATION Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Studies The Union Institute & University African American Studies May 2000 May 2009 BA History Oglethorpe University SELECT PUBLICATIONS/ WRITINGS Congress of African People: History and Memory (Palgrave Press 2014) Co-Editor, Brilliant Fire! Amiri Baraka: Poems, Plays, Politics for the People (Third World Press 2014) We Declare Our Right to Be a Human Being, in By Any Means Necessary: Malcolm X, Real Not Reinvented (Third World Press 2012) Co-Editor, 44 on 44: forty four African American Writers on the Election of the 44 th President, Barack Obama, edited with Lita Hooper and Sonia Sanchez (Third World Press 2012) Editor, Next Day in America: Writings on the Election of Barack Obama (Fulton County 2008) Co-Editor, Crux: Anthology South Africa to South USA edited with Alice Lovelace, Felton Eaddy, and Malkia M Buzi. (Fulton County 2007) General Tsu s Chicken. In Warpland Journal (Chicago State University 2005) Belly of the Sun, liner notes (Blue Note Records, 2005) Libations for Pharaoh. In Role Call: (Third World Press 2001) In the Shadow of the Son a novel (Third World Press 2000)
Michael Simanga Page! 2 TEACHING EXPERIENCE African Americans and Film Georgia State University Spring 2014 Introduction to African American Studies Georgia State University Fall 2013 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE NON-PROFIT LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT Executive Director - National Black Arts Festival 2012-13 Provided executive leadership for premiere African American arts festival in US; led team in developing and implementing vision and strategic plan; developed and managed two million dollar budget; annual programming; represented the organization; marketing and branding materials and plan; recruited, hired and managed staff, consultants, curators; annual fundraising goals and plan; funder relations with corporate sponsors, government, individuals; create and develop institutional partnerships. Director Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, Fulton County, GA 2010-2012 Managed agency; provided overall artistic direction for the agency; supervised managers of Public Art, Contracts for Services, five community art centers, Art at Work; supervised staff of fifty (permanent, contract and temporary employees); developed, implemented and managed fundraising including grants and sponsorships; developed policy and programming for department; managed special projects; represented the department within the county and community; served as primary liaison with other departments; developed and managed budgets and personnel; and developed and implemented marketing strategies to increase public awareness and participation in FCAC programs and services. Director - Southwest Arts Center, Fulton County, GA 2005-2008 Managed operating and program budget; supervised 35 employees; created produced and presented arts programs for general public; coordinated youth and adult art classes and workshops; strategized with public administrators and educators to implement special projects; taught writing workshops; developed, implemented and managed marketing strategy; served as liaison to community and media; and developed strategy for fundraising.
Michael Simanga Page! 3 Consultant Independent 2000 - Present Arts programming and management consultant to artists, artists' management groups, arts organizations, non-profits, government and educational institutions. Work includes development of and assistance in implementing programming; board development; budget development and management; fundraising; community relations; and marketing and press relations. Independent Writer/Editor/Producer/Director 1990 - Present Published writings include articles, essays, plays, fiction and poetry. Published editing includes anthologies, newspapers and magazines. and/or directed, music, plays, video, literary events and music concerts. Developed and managed budgets, staff, marketing and all production elements in publishing, festival, theatre, music, literary and video projects. 2005 Present CREATIVE PROJECTS/PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITIONS National Black Arts Festival Southwest Arts Center Independent Film Series Gathering of Artists: Benefit for New Orleans Artists after Hurricane Katrina 4 performances of Suzan Lori Parks 365 Play Project Poet/essayist Haki Madhubuti Workshop and performance with acclaimed jazz vocalist Dwight Tribble VIA Performance Museum Native American Hoop Dancers Poetry as Spiritual Practice Workshop with poet Sonia Sanchez Baobab Poetry Collective poets present Randall Horton and Remica Bingham Dutchman a play by Amiri Baraka Gland a play by Stephanie Dunn directed by J. Williams Funk-ionalism an exhibition inspired by music El Hajj Malik: The Life and Times of Malcolm X Historian Peniel Joseph Wait Til the Midnight Hour Speakers of the House a lecture and book signing by John Eaves
Michael Simanga Page! 4 Music Projects Producer Producer Consulting Producer The Sacred Call: Donald Hollowell (reading and book signing with L. Hollowell) Heart and Soul Musical Revue a play directed by Tom Jones Paraphrase I: A poetic response to visual arts Paraphrase II: A visual arts response to poetry Bricktop a play by Calvin Ramsey and Thomas Jones Michael Thurmond: Freedom an African American History in Georgia Hannibal Lokumbe presents Trilogy Wizard of Hip a play by Tom Jones 86-88 an exhibition of works inspired by hip hop Midnight Revolutionaries (SWAC Teen Academy production) Collage (SWAC Teen Academy production) School s Out (SWAC Teen Academy production) True Colors Theatre Company Play Reading series 06-08 The Colored Museum (directed by Tafari Jelani Theatre Company) NBAF Concert Joe Jennings NBAF Concert Sam Collier Political Life of a Poem with Kalamu Ya Salaam Blues with vocalist Jhelisa Sojourner Truth: Poetic Revision a staged reading of poems by Lita Hooper Frank and Lola a play by Tamira Moncur The Work of Emory Douglas a retrospective exhibition Top Dog Under Dog a play by Suzan Lori Parks Daughters of Men a play by Rachel Vassel Next Day in America an exhibition and broadside publication Full Moon of Sonia poetry of Sonia Sanchez with music Full Moon of Sonia Living Legends performance for NBAF Blue Light Til Dawn music of Cassandra Wilson Belly of the Son music of Cassandra Wilson Wild Seed Wild Flower music of Dionne Farris Mother s Child music of Leesa Richards A Primitive Guide to Being music of Jhelisa
Select Papers and Presentations Michael Simanga Page! 5 National Black Writers Conference: Popular Culture and Literature Medgar Evers College 2013 Literary Influence of Malcolm X Congressional Black Caucus Conference 2012 African American Art and Culture: A Catalyst for Economic and Social Development in Urban Communities National Conference of Black Mayors Conference, Atlanta, Georgia 2012 Integrating Culture and Art in African Development. World Summit of Black Mayors, Dakar, Senegal 2011 Malcolm X and African American Identity. University of Pittsburgh, 2011 The Congress of African Peoples and International Black Power Studies. University of Pittsburgh, 2011 The Martin Malcolm Framework: Black Liberation and the Role of Servant Leadership. Sarah Lawrence College, 2010. Detroit Black Arts Movement and Black Identity. Sarah Lawrence College, 2010. Cultural Nationalism and Black Power. Sarah Lawrence College, 2010. The People s Movement to Elect Barack Obama. Pace University, 2010. Say Cool Poems: Memorial for poet Sekou Sundiata. National Black Arts Festival, 2008. Black Male Development. Shrine of the Black Madonna, 2007. Conversation: Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka. Spelman College, 2007. Claim the Future. WEB DuBois Academy, 2007. Conversation with Tina McElroy Ansa. National Black Arts Festival, 2007. Black Radical Movements of the 1960s. UNC Chapel Hill, 2005. Importance of Black History. Georgia Perimeter College, 2004.