WORCESTER—Local artists Cyrille Vincent Ndomakette Samba and Daniel Gay have been chosen for creative summer residencies at The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross. This opportunity is part of the Scholarship in Action program, a three-year partnership between the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC), the college, and Worcester’s Cultural Development Division.
Ndomakette Samba’s project, a film called “WHIRLWIND,” chronicles the story of Worcester native and 1899 World Bicycling Champion Major Taylor. Taylor’s rapid ascent in the competitive bicycling world of post-Civil War America made him the first global Black athletic superstar. The residency provides Samba with the time and resources to complete historical research, draft the film script, and outline the next steps for finalizing the film. Themes of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are integral to both the project and Taylor’s story.
“Major Taylor’s story is a force that not only entertains but also educates and empowers diverse communities around the nation and the world,” Samba said in an announcement.
Samba will share project updates throughout the residency via the project’s newsletter, social media channels, and website.
Gay’s project, a musical work titled “Around the World: Worcester Immigrant Diasporas in Musical Tapestry,” aims to document and celebrate the cultural contributions of his students in the Worcester Public School system, many of whom are newcomers, refugees, and immigrants. The concert program will showcase a variety of music styles from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Levant, and Eastern Europe. This 90-minute performance will feature solo piano, guitar, and accordion, and is designed to be accessible to audiences of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
“The purpose is to expose our communities to the rich cultures that might go unnoticed in our communities, but also to provide a musical template for cultural understanding,” said Gay in a statement. “The diversity of our Worcester community is the inspiration, it will allow further accessibility to cultural learning experiences and will hopefully expose a broader audience to the wonderful cultural contribution of our immigrant and refugee diasporas through the power of instrumental music.”
Gay will also share project updates throughout the residency on his social media channels, website, and through the completion of the project, which will include a public premiere of the piece and a professional recording of the work.
HC x WCC: Creative Residencies for Worcester Artists at The Prior is funded by the College’s Scholarship in Action (SIA) initiative. This program fosters long-term relationships in Worcester, where SIA faculty, student researchers, and community stakeholders collaborate on meaningful research projects grounded in principles of equity, antiracism, and shared knowledge. These efforts engage audiences locally and globally, underscoring the vital role of the liberal arts and humanities in tackling complex challenges.
Beyond creating new artistic works, the SIA-funded project seeks to generate new insights into the campus-based arts residency model. Participants will engage in discussions and self-reflection about their residency process and experiences.
The Prior Performing Arts Center is a hub for academic and artistic innovation, featuring a 400-seat proscenium concert hall, a 200-seat flexible theater, and various state-of-the-art studios and multi-use flexible spaces. The summer residencies, focused on development rather than performance, will activate these spaces to support the creation of new work tailored to the needs of each selected artist.
