We were lucky to catch up with Aliyah Curry recently and have shared our conversation below.
Aliyah, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
Growing up, my parents always had my sister and I in the arts – going to see films and plays, the ballet, museums. I used to write stories in my elementary notebooks and my mother always championed me to finish and do more with them. In middle school, I wanted to be a chef, and my family loved when I tested out recipes; my mother even made me a custom apron and recorded my own cooking show. When I applied to arts school for college, I told my parents, “If I don’t get in, I’ll just get a job and work my way up.” And they said, “Okay.” When my industries hit slow periods, they encourage me to stay the course. So I’ve always felt supported in whatever I wanted to pursue, which I’m so grateful for.
Aliyah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a queer Southern bred film and theatermaker focused on Black female sexuality and mental health. Creating for me is about vulnerability between self, company, and story, never asking of any what I would not do myself. This comes from my background of performance through self-portraiture, as well as having experienced the wrong way to do things when collaborating. Those are my strengths as I write, direct, produce, and stage manage.
Elements of my Alabama matriarchal ties and my vast worldview from travel allow me to give my surrealistic experiments universal holdings. I’m proud of being able to convey my roots and imaginations for the future simultaneously.
The multi-media shows Random Acts of Flyness by Terence Nance and Woke by Keith Knight, the cunningly blunt I May Destroy You by Michaela Coel; Black character-full and symbolism-rich plays by Adrienne Kennedy, George C. Wolfe, sharon bridgforth; the Southern country collage art of Lynthia Edwards, provocative silhouettes by Kara Walker; the self-care through art practice of Aimee Meredith Cox all inform and inspire my practice.
I am especially proud of my most recent achievements including the 2024 New York Foundation for the Arts Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award and my first production commissioned by Transforma Theatre for their 2024 Science in Theatre Festival.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Taking a brave chance to realize your thoughts into some sort of an expression is a huge rewarding aspect. Even bigger is deciding to share it. Those rewards from believing in yourself and taking action have to be enough for you though in order to remain grounded; connecting with audiences on a wider scale is the cherry on top.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Artists and creatives shape the world for society, providing entertainment and escape. The best thing society can do is provide their resources in order to receive those benefits artists provide. Have a coffee shop that’s not so busy a particular day? Let some artists meet there for a reading, or hang art on the walls for sale. Let filmmakers use office space for an hour on the weekend. Give a discount for craft services in exchange for tickets to the film premiere. I think people can get more creative with ways they can solve problems for artists whose work they connect with. Artists appreciative any useful contribution, no matter how small it may seem to someone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theirdaughters.productions/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirdaughters.productions/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliyah-curry-894b311b8/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_L7Awz7_o4
Image Credits
Danielle Rocki Guido
Nya Archives
Jaka Vinsek