Summary: By David Dower. As part of Harlem Week here on HowlRound I am speaking to a number of producing artists in the neighborhood. Here's a conversation with yet another bundle of bright Harlem energy, J.J. El-Far. J.J. is the Creative Director of the Harlem Arts Festival , which jumps off for the first time this weekend in the Marcus Garvey Park amphitheater with a line-up of music, theater, visual and movement arts celebrating Harlem today. We get a bit into the nuances of producing a new arts festival in the area and the complex relationship to the pressures of gentrification. I also get her talking about her own path to becoming a producer and what is in it for her. I seem to be on a mission of late to encourage more people to jump into this role as a means of creating their own space in the world. J.J. is definitely doing...
