Center director shares passion for belonging in June 23–30 ‘Meeting’

Center for the Performing Arts Director Sita Frederick will discuss her raison d’etre in a special episode of “Meeting the Moment with Michael Mwenso.”

The free prerecorded discussion starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, and will stream on demand until 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 30. Find more information about “Meeting the Moment.” 

In the interview, Frederick discusses her journey of self-discovery; acknowledges the layers of identity related to growing up in a racially diverse family; and reveals how a personal struggle with inclusion shaped her worldview.

“That sense of ‘neither here nor there,’ not quite fitting in, is one of the reasons ‘belonging’ is so important to me,” she said in the interview. “It’s deep for me — holding space for people to be themselves. It’s what inspires me to be in this position.”

Contributions from the members of the Center for the Performing Arts and a grant from the University Park Student Fee Board help make the program free of charge. Meghan R. Mason Program Endowment and Richard Robert Brown Program Endowment provide support.

The program concludes the center’s “Up Close and Virtual” 2020–21 season. “Meeting the Moment” is the keystone event of the Fierce Urgency Festival, the center’s commitment to celebrating Black artists and sharing their stories. Learn more about the festival. 

Frederick has dedicated her career to youth mentorship and community engagement, and one of her goals as director is to broaden arts access for all in central Pennsylvania. Read a recent Center for the Performing Arts interview. 

Mwenso has performed for the center with The Shakes in concert live and virtually. He also will host the center’s inaugural “Juneteenth: A Fierce Urgency Festival,” featuring video performances of Black artists and Penn State faculty.

As curator and events programmer at Jazz at Lincoln Center, he has shared the stage with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Aaron Diehl, Sullivan Fortner and Jamison Ross.

Geisinger and Northwest provide support for virtual presentations by the Center for the Performing Arts.