Ava DuVernay’s Array Sets Live Streaming Event On LEAP’s 5th Anniversary

Ava DuVernay‘s Peabody-winning Array is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its Law Enforcement Accountability Project (LEAP) with a live, virtual gathering of all nine commissioned LEAP artists. The free event will stream exclusively at ArrayPlay.com today, Friday, June 6 at 12 PM PST.

LEAP was launched in 2020 as a response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a moment that catalyzed a global movement demanding justice and transparency in law enforcement. Rather than respond with a film or documentary, DuVernay activated a collective of artists across multiple disciplines to tell the truth about the police abuse of Black people through storytelling and creativity.

Funded by more than 1,200 individual donors, LEAP has supported nine original works across a range of mediums including photography, dance, poetry, music, culinary art, book design, and more. For the first time, all LEAP artists will come together in a virtual artist forum to reflect on their creative process, their work and the continuing need for art as a force for justice.

Moderated by Mercedes Cooper, LEAP curator and Array’s EVP of Public Programming, the event will reflect on the legacy of LEAP’s work over the past five years, and the ongoing importance of uplifting activist voices through artistic expression.

“LEAP was built on the belief that art can be a powerful tool to hold specific officers accountable,” said DuVernay. “In marking this milestone, we honor the artists who dared to tell the truth, and the communities that empowered them to do so.”

Participating LEAP Artists: