BiGFiSH FOLKLiFE
A folklife community who share God’s love through stories of salt and light
New Concord, OH
Featured Artist Bill Belle
Bill Belle is a participating artist at the Y Bridge Arts Festival (August 1 and 2)!
Bill's Bio: “As an Abstract Artist based in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, my creative journey is a unique blend of technology and artistic expression. Armed with an associates degree in Computer Networking, I find my daily canvas not only in the digital realm but also in the vibrant palette of abstract art. My true passion lies in the boundless realm of art, a passion that found its wings during the initial days of the Covid lock-downs. Confronted with the confines of home and the need for a physical outlet, I turned to the canvas to unleash my imagination. Color and texture are my tools of choice, meticulously curated to evoke a spectrum of emotions in the viewer—be it joy, anger, sadness, or a touch of confusion. Each piece tells a story, a narrative woven from the depths of my active imagination. Beyond the studio, I find inspiration in the simple pleasures of life. Whether it's indulging in the captivating narratives of television and movies, immersing myself in the fantastical worlds of literature, or embracing the great outdoors through camping, hiking, and swimming, my artistic sensibilities are fueled by the rich tapestry of experiences. In every creation, I invite you to explore the convergence of technology and art, a journey that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Join me as I paint the canvas of emotions, one abstract expression at a time.”
Bill Belle's Gallery
The J2LN Book is Here!
Twisted Roots with Rachel and Kim!
Journey to Long Nose
Written and Performed by Rachel Pollock
Thank you all who supported us at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 2024!
Audience reactions to "Journey to Long Nose" at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Bexs Barlow The way Rachel effortlessly fits so much of the nuance that surrounds race, culture and identity into one show, all with uplifting energy, fun and gentleness is exquisite. This show was always meant to come into being and I hope for as many individuals to witness it as possible. Be blessed and blessed be.
Deborah A “Rachel is such an incredible storyteller. The show was engaging in every aspect, I am really glad I got to experience it before the end of fringe. I would 100% recommend this show to all!”
Luca Vaccari “The sheer amount of information that Rachel imparts in her show is incredible - all whilst be funny and personable. The show successfully tackles the more nuanced aspects of race and cultural identity, and Rachel avoids treading on eggshells around the subject. Instead, she balances wit with pragmatic and thought-provoking ideas about identity and the complexities of genetic and cultural heritage.”
Amanda M “Creative and relatable to those with 23 and me identify crisis! Cool this fringe run is to be written into a chapter in the book! Excellent singer!”
Valeriya Pushkareva “Exciting and thought-provoking journey of ancestry and self-discovery, sometimes might be a bit shoking[sic], but you just breathe through it I promise you'll like it at the end!”
Kelly Smith “Really enjoyed this show. Rachel is a great storyteller and very professional. It was uplifting and entertaining. Heartfelt and you came away with things to think about. Looking forward to her book!”
Penny B “This is a wonderful show. It was the last one I saw before our Edinburgh Fringe trip came to an end - and it was the perfect choice. Rachel Pollock is a gifted storyteller and like all great writers I’m not quite sure how she made me feel like I’d known her characters for years in such a short time. The verse, the songs, the movement - all beautifully done. Highly recommended.
John Leavitt “I came in curious and left uplifted and inspired! A gem of a show - because it's human. Because it's honest. And because Ms. Pollock just drips with energy, positivity, and sincerity. I'm glad I saw this.”
Journey to Long nose
See our 4-Star Review for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 at theatreandartreviews.com!
This one-woman show written and performed by Rachel Pollock is, "a quirky, original and humorous storytelling foray into my broken cultural identity brought about by my family’s changing oral history and our collective obsession with ancestry DNA, as plain as the nose on my face."
DC Theatre Arts Review of J2LN
TESTIMONIALS
“The mark of good drama is that it keeps you thinking -- and Journey to Long Nose certainly did for me. I loved the way [Pollock] showed the challenge of claiming each of [her] identities, wrestling with the perceptions of others, drawing faith and God into the mix of it all and bringing awareness of our current "othering" of people....all within claiming the embrace of self. So many places...and doing it all from Ohio. Good stuff.”
Rev. Chris Johnson Foster
Interim Associate Pastor, Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, Bethesda, MD
“Journey to Long Nose is a profoundly funny performance that carefully establishes trust with the audience by using laughter to smooth out the rough edges we might brush up against when prompted to examine our own insecurities. Rachel Pollock's colorful writing takes aim not only at herself but at each one of us. This is the best kind of art, masterfully pushing people of all stripes right up to the border of our individual comfort zones. Make no mistake: she holds us there just long enough to make sure we've gazed upon the discomfort on the other side, but before it ever gets to be too much, she pulls us into yet another story, and another laugh.”
Greg Brown
Musician, Traveler, Artist, Mount Vernon Nazarene University Alum
Want to host a performance of J2LN at your venue?
Please contact us at bigfishfolklife@gmail.com for details!
GENRE: Solo performance with presentation slides
RUN TIME: 50 minutes
AUDIENCE: General audience
2019-2020 ARTIST BIO Learn more at RRPollock.com
Rachel Pollock, Artistic Director, BigFish Folklife is an actor, writer, storyteller and American folklife researcher. Since 2003, she has served as the Director of Forensics (Competitive Public Speaking, Performance & Debate) and Assistant Professor of Communication, Media, and Theatre at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio. Recipient of multiple grants to research storytelling in the United States (from the National Storytelling Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee to the American Folklife Center Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.), Rachel’s Storytelling Workshop has been published in Great Ideas for Teaching Speech and the Forensics Educator. She is one co-founder of BiGFiSH Folklife, a fun faith-based artists’ collective in New Concord, Ohio. Pollock’s full-length plays in production include “Remember How He Told You”, “Something About the Pope”, “IS (On the Edge of Deaf America) based on Deaf-hearing stories in the Storycorps collection”, and “Journey To Long Nose”. In July 2019, the one woman multi-media show “Journey to Long Nose” premiered at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, D.C.
About US
- To bring together artists and audiences in a cultural exchange of folklife stories.
- To provide retreat, education, and worship opportunities for and by artists.
We define “folklife” as the everyday stories of ordinary people.
Storytelling, in its broadest sense, may include a variety of media and genre (e.g. traditional storytelling, writing, performance, visual arts, music, dance, etc.)
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Publications
Have you ever wondered what it was like- not knowing what comes next, or what God is doing and why? What does life with the risen Lord mean? Inspired by the New Testament Gospel of Luke, "Remember How He Told You" is a new drama of the Resurrection story from R.R. Pollock. Amidst political upheaval, five Jewish women journey to anoint the body of the crucified Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) for burial and uncover a mysterious, new world.
When DNA tests and family tales collide, identity gets complicated. In this refreshingly original memoir, Rachel takes readers on a humorous and heartfelt journey through her fractured cultural identity—shaped by shifting family narratives and society’s growing obsession with ancestry DNA. The results, as she puts it, are "as plain as the nose on my face."
With the same sharp wit and authenticity that made her performances a hit, Journey to Long Nose explores the tangled web of ancestry, identity, and the stories we inherit.
Gone Fishing
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