Cleveland Public Theatre is once again bringing Station Hope to Saint John’s Episcopal Churchon Church Avenue in Cleveland.
“Station Hope is a huge event to celebrate not just the past but to really think about where we are at now and where we’re going to go into the future, so that all people can be free,” said Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan.
It’s believed the now vacant church in Ohio City was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.
“The historians believe that when people were seeking freedom and needed to hide, they would actually go into the bell tower and the bell is still here in the front lobby,” said Bobgan.
According to National Geographic, “During the era of slavery, the Underground Railroad was a network of routes, places and people that helped enslaved people in the American South escape to the North.”
On Saturday, May 25, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the community will come together on the grounds of the church for a free evening of theatre, music, storytelling, dance and more.
“You can watch the videos, you can hear people talk about it but until you’re in the room, you really can’t know what it’s like,” said Bobgan.
This is the 11th year for Station Hope. Djapo Cultural Arts Institute will be featured, among other groups.
“We’re into preservation of culture, so we study the art, the music, the dance, the history of Africa and throughout the diaspora,” said Artistic Director and Choreographer Talise Campbell.
“One of our programs is our international travel where every year we take residents, community members, [and] young people to different countries in West Africa.”
Campbell said it’s important to bring that culture home. One of those ways is through Station Hope.
“For the past 10 years where Djapo has been able to close out Station Hope it has been really, really wonderful, and it’s been a task for myself to be able to be creative and coming up with different ways to have an impact and making sure that audiences leave feeling something,” Campbell said.
