Spring IRL Series
- Hilary Pollan
- Mar 26
- 4 min read
Spring is in the air, and New Legacy Lab is going out to enjoy it IRL (i.e. In Real Life, aka In-Person)!
This spring at New Legacy Lab is all about EXPERIENCING. As my friend Elijah Brunson likes to remind us, we are not just brains on sticks! We are hearts and bodies, somatic and sensory humans who feel and experience deeply. This spring, with the sweet smell of blossoms all around, we’re going to engage fully!
This April through June, New Legacy Lab will be gathering in small groups to attend FRESH local events, like Love Songs’ Jazz Opera and the Black Trans Short Film Festival, and to experience Historic Stagville through a lens of resistance and imagination.
We hope these experiences will open us to new ways of thinking about our roles as donors, in what and how we use our abundance of resources towards transformation.
The 'Spring IRL Series' Events + Details:
Event #1: Pre-Show Picnic for Labor South's Love Songs, A Jazz Opera
Hosted in collaboration with Labor South: Center for Working Class Studies
Presented by Labor South, Love Songs from the Liberation Wars is a musical celebration of an important event in the history of the labor and civil rights struggles in the South – the organization of Black and white workers in Winston-Salem’s tobacco factories and the political mobilization of the larger African American community during the 1940s. Five performers bring a variety of characters to life as they perform selections from the full jazz opera in an intimate, concert-style experience.
New Legacy Lab is hosting a Pre-Show Picnic at Durham Central Park. During this Bring-Your-Own-Dinner style picnic, we will connect with other donors interested in learning more about and supporting labor justice and civil rights struggles in the South!
EVENING DETAILS
Part 1: Pre-Show Picnic
Date/Time: Friday, April 24th from 5:15 - 6:15 PM
Location: Durham Central Park by the Farmer’s Market (501 Foster St, Durham, NC 27701
Cost: FREE
Part 2: Love Song from the Liberation Wars, a Jazz Opera
Date/Time: Show: Friday, April 24th from 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Location: PSI Theatre, Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St., Durham, NC 27705
Cost: $35 (plus taxes and fees) per Ticket through Labor South
Purchase Tickets and more information: https://www.givepulse.com/event/829441-Love%2BSongs%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2BLiberation%2BW
Event #2: Black Trans Short Film Festival’s Stories That Heal: Opening Ceremony and In-House Screening + Post-Show Treats
Hosted in collaboration with Comfrey Films
Comfrey Films has invited a small group (7 donors!) of New Legacy Lab donors to join them in solidarity at the kick-off of the Black Trans Short Film Festival (BTSFF). This beautiful opening ceremony features an in-house curation of short films supported by Comfrey Films, and an inspiring panel discussion on Alternative Film Ecosystems and how we can carve out new paths for Black queer and trans voices to be heard in this moment.
New Legacy Lab is hosting a Post-Ceremony Treats gathering in the American Tobacco District where we will debrief from the experience of attending the BTSFF and what it means to be a donor in solidarity with Black trans liberation.
BTSFF+ Post-Show Treats Details:
Date/Time: Thursday, April 30th - Opening Ceremoney from 6 - 8:15PM and Post-Show Treats from 8:15 - 9PM
Location: Full Frame Theater in American Tobbaco Campus
Cost: FREE with a suggested donation (use the New Legacy Lab Sliding Scale to help determine your suggested donation amount!)
For more information, Black Trans Short Film Festival’s Stories That Heal: Opening Ceremony and In-House Screening, visit:
Event #3: Intergenerational Donor Gathering
New Legacy Lab will continue to host our Intergenerational Donor Dinner this spring! During these intimate gatherings, we will build connections with other justice-oriented donors and talk openly and creatively about our giving practices and relationships.
Throughout the evening, we shared our stories, allowed ourselves to feel inspired and curious, named our discomforts, offered resources and ideas, and built new connections. Together, we grappled with awkward questions that feel hard to ask in most other settings because grappling with these questions in comm
unity IS how we become more bold, creative, and values-aligned in our giving.
This spring’s dinner will be on Mid-May from 6:30 - 8:30 PM at a private home in the Triangle-NC area!
This an invitation-only event; however, please reach out to Hilary if you or someone you know may be interested in attending. PLEASE NOTE: This Donor Gathering is not a space for fundraising or solicitations.
Event #4: Freedom Dreaming at Historic Stagville with Artist Monet Marshall
Hosted in collaboration with Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South and ROSA
Artist and Cultural Organizer Monèt Marshall invites us to join her at Historic Stagville, a former plantation in Durham County, for an interactive experience rooted in resistance and liberation. Through performance, guided mediations, and facilitated conversation, we all will be invited to expand our imaginations into past and future Black feminist dreaming. This offering is open to all ages, races, genders, and class backgrounds.
Freedom Dreaming at Historic Stagville Details:
Date/Time: Saturday, June 13th, 2026 from 10AM - 12PM
Location: Horton Grove at Historic Stagville
Cost: $15 - $35 per person
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