Encompassing Black and Brown Creatives at Be You Fest
Eres seamlessly supplied the community backbone in all workshops, performances, and panels by enlisting actual voices of the Bronx.
Photography by Yeka Gyadu
The first impression is typically the most memorable, and Be You Fest did not disappoint. Immediately, guests are welcomed with fresh spring colors, dripping from neon lights and intentionally placed vines as they pull open the glass doors. An archway focuses attention with its tangerine, leafy opening, leading attendees to a projection installation of TV boxes that illustrate the Fest’s logo on each wall.
A signal that this festival is meant to captivate and hold you. Be You Fest was an immersive experience for creators to learn, mingle, and explore new creation activations, meant to inspire and foster new connections. A hub, truly, for all disciplines in the media industry. The Fest was hosted in the heart of the South Bronx, a purposeful placement by the organization, eres.
It’s no secret that there are roadblocks to being BIPOC within the media industry - honestly, all industries. But eres, a creator-focused Latina women-led organization, has vowed to build doors that were closed despite this. Founded by Christine Cortes and Michelle Polanco, they are moved by an observed deficit of BIPOC voices within the media industry and a desire to create spaces that not only provide resources but amplify community stories and artists. The foundation of their mission is to build a nervous system of creators. The system, in turn, offers a vetted marketplace for collaboration and mentorship. The best part of all? eres is homegrown in New York City. The authenticity of reclaiming sacred BIPOC spaces, especially during the tide of NYC’s gentrifying real estate changes, serves as a poignant reminder of the beauty in our backyard.
Photography by Yeka Gyadu
eres seamlessly supplied the community backbone in all workshops, performances, and panels by enlisting actual voices of the Bronx. For example, the dubbed complexity of lighting Black and Brown skin is a plaguing conversation that is often structured by simply excluding Black and Brown people. However, eres, partnering with the Bronx’s LR2 PHOTO STUDIO and Shotti NYC, broke down those barriers by offering demos and hands-on help. The commencement of the workshop buzzed the room with energy. Attendees, including myself, were excited to get their hands on cameras and use each other as models to better understand light balance and correction.
The unifying aspect wasn’t felt in just one workshop, but all the facets the Fest offered. The vendors were all local Bronx community businesses, from food to lifestyle products. The panelists were mainly Bronx natives, providing advice on platform building through podcasts ( No, not Joe Rogan’s podcast). The installations were curated by Gisselle E. Sanchez and created in partnership with the School of Visual Arts MFA program for Interaction Design, allowing students the opportunity to forge creative interactions for the festival. Jérémie Candio, a first-year student, spoke about the importance and general fun he had in being trusted to incorporate his creativity into Be You Fest’s environment.
“We are allowed to self-define what creativity is to us. When exploring creative fields like photography or drawing, sometimes we think we are supposed to abandon those who use STEM-based studies like medicine or law. No, these fields are so transdisciplinary that your background always comes into play with your creative expression…no matter what, you’re creative.”
Photography by Yeka Gyadu
eres brought joy and fostered community through the unparalleled Be You Fest. Each person who left gathered a new contact, a new idea, or even a new purpose for interpreting our journey through storytelling. The Fest’s overall intent couldn’t be clearer. The resignation of creating without each other isn’t possible, and when in search, we reach for one another. In that moment of synchronicity, the magic happens.
The entire team that made this possible can be found credited below:
Christine Cortes - Executive Producer & Founder
Michelle Polanco- Executive Producer & Founder
Gisselle E. Sanchez- Art Director (CEO of GS Interior Design Studio)
Jesús Santana - Art Curator & Visual Artist
Arlyn De Los Santos- Producer and Lighting Director
Jessica Hernandez - Event & Talent Producer
Brandon M. Weber - Partnership Liaison (CEO of Under8ted Movement)
Ayanna Williams - Event Coordinator (CEO of Uptown Melody)
