Francesca McNeeley Named Music Curator and Lyndsay Allyn Cox Named Interdisciplinary Curator & Artistic Producer Left: Francesca McNeeley, Music Curator; Right: Lyndsay Allyn Cox: Artistic Producer & Interdisciplinary Curator As Castle of our Skins prepares to enter its 14th season and the next chapter in its artistic evolution, the organization is pleased to announce the appointment of two new artistic leaders who will help shape its future programming: acclaimed cellist and

For both this season and our June 6th program, I wanted to explore not only the grievances that have and continue to lead Black people to declare their agency, but also how we’ve declared our independence. Everything from moments of resistance, the sheer drive and power of imagination to conjure up freedom and joy, and examples of how we’ve fought to claim space, reclaim our sense of humanity, and pursue happiness.

In January 2022, Taylor McTootle, the former Director of Education at Castle of our Skins, approached me to develop an Edu-tainment program that showcases the marimba alongside Black history and culture. It was my first time designing a COOS Edu-tainment program and it was important to me that young people learn about the music and culture of early Africans in America, particularly spirituals and their involvement in self-emancipation. I also wanted the program to be engaging

Did you feel a sense of community, connection and belonging when you attended your first Castle of our Skins’ event?