KICK•BACK

featuring Lila Blue

poetry by Felicia Cade

short film by E.B. Hinnant

Welcome back to the kick•back salon at the cell! A world-class innovative third space, serving up a slice of home-cooked creativity to the NYC arts community scene

order of the evening

7pm Decompression Session - Attendees can enjoy couch, floor cushion or cocktail table seating while they write, draw, color, read or just kick back and unwind. A light ambient soundscape and fresh food art served on site will set the mood for us all to relax, together.

7:45pm Short Film Screening - The evening’s entertainment will begin with a screening of a hand-picked short film for your viewing pleasure. This time we’re featuring E.B. Hinnant

8:00pm Spoken Word- featuring the legendary Felicia Cade

8:15pm Live Music Feature - Our headliner, Lila Blue, takes the stage with her band to share stories, songs and space with our community of artists and attendees.

9:00pm Third Space - The last hour of the evening is a place and time for us all to make a new friend, hatch a new idea for a project and grow our understanding of the artistic landscape we all inhabit, together.

about the artists

Lila Blue (Music) (they/them) is a composer, playwright, performer and musician from New York City. Their work explores grief, epigenetics, queer mischief & transcendence, and often includes collisions with a ghost or two. Blue has performed and composed professionally for fifteen years, including a six-year run co-starring in The Kilbane’s Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel-nominated Weightless, and writing a 52-song score for a production of The Cherry Orchard presented at Under The Radar (2019 & 2020). They have released four records to critical acclaim, toured internationally and composed for film and television, most notably MTV and Lifetime. Ann Powers of NPR, stated that Blue “bring[s] an incredible authority to songwriting and singing...enormous fearlessness and panache….” In 2024, Blue was a winner of Kerrville’s Grassy Hill New Folk Award for Emerging Songwriters. Their musical “SEE/UNSEE,” is in development at HERE Arts with the support of NYSCA and OperaAmerica and is set for production in 2027. @lilablueofficial / lilablueofficial.com

Felicia Cade (Poetry) is a leading voice in contemporary poetry an award-winning, Brooklyn-based poet whose work moves at the intersection of art and activism. Originally from Long Beach, California, she first gained national recognition as LA’s “Voice of the People” and has since emerged as a leading force in New York’s vibrant literary scene. A seven-time slam champion, Felicia has performed across the globe—from Ghana’s National Nkombon Festival to London’s Million Woman’s March, and major stages like Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She formerly hosted at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe and now leads Langston’s Parlor, a beloved poetry workshop at the historic Langston Hughes House in Harlem. Her work centers Black liberation and fiercely champions Women’s Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Mental Health, and Social Justice.

E.B. Hinnant (Film) E.B. Hinnant is an actor, songwriter, and filmmaker from South Carolina. You can find his music anywhere online under the name “Fripp”. Talk to him about fungi, fried okra, and Dolly Parton.