Nicholson Billey is of the Chahta and Mvskoke People of Oklahoma and is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
While obtaining a MFA in Performance & Performance Studies, Nic began to present his solo performance work that utilized various multidirectional and poly-focal fundamentals from the everyday practices of Indigeneity with aspects from drama therapy to create Este Cate.
Nic also holds an MA in drama therapy.
(Original photo credit of Nicholson Billey: Erik McGregor)
The Artists Forum Spoken Word Competition
Nicholson Billey, writer and performer, was awarded Best Experimental Performance and Grand Prize Winner for “Stomp Dance Over Reclamation” at The Artists Forum Spoken Word Competition Juried Arts Festival Awards Ceremony 2022 on November 10, 2022.
Nicholson’s two short videos, “Stomp Dance Over Reclamation” & “Ugly Brown” were both finalists in The Artists Forum’s Spoken Word Competition 2022. These two videos are excerpts from “Este Cate”, Nicholson’s video of five Native stories, which were directed by Danielle Soames (Mohawk). “Este Cate” was screened and streamed online via The Artists Forum’s Program IV October to November 2022.
For more information for The Artists Forum Spoken Word Competition and Juried Arts Festival Awards Ceremony 2022
2019-Gown-Cap-And A Tassel was created in May 2019 as a series of simple photos and brief videos by Nicholson Billey and co-curated with Rayson James Dix (Chahta & Mvskoke). 2019-Gown-Cap-And A Tassel is a protest through visual resistance that intends to project back toward the industrial complex of academia how it rigidly imposes its assimilative agenda onto any who may be deemed as alternative. As resistant. As Other. 2019-Gown-Cap-And A Tassel was maintained for one year on Sylvia Dix’s (Chahta & Mvskoke) wooden backyard fence in Preston, Oklahoma.
Este Cate (pronounced stuh-jaw-duh) is Mvskoke for “Indian” and is an interweaving of five Native stories that attempts to disrupt the notion of a Native “stasis.” Este Cate, as a performance toward Native resurgence, pushes into, through, and beyond this stasis into an emergent and unconventional Native thriving.
Collective Voices: Community Talks is a collaborative video presentation between the American Indian Community House, Inc. and Nicholson Billey to give expression from Native American community storyspeaking voices about the Native American community in New York City.
(Made possible by the American Indian Community House, Inc. AICH.org)
Written by William S. Yellow Robe Jr., was presented as part of Amerinda’s Double Feature Radio Plays podcast. Nicholson Billey performs the role of Ernie in It Came From Across the Big Pond.
CAST: Nic Billey, Dylan Carusona, Donna Couteau, Matthew Cross, Matt Langer, Ina McNeil, Taylor Red Fox
(Made possible by Amerinda, Inc. Amerinda.org)
– Produced by Diane Fraher
– Directed by John Scott-Richardson
– Assistant Producer: Ryan Victor Pierce
– Sound Design: Bob Schott, Sr. Audio
– Engineer/Producer, Studio Center NY
– Dialogue Recording: Jacqueline Jackson
– Dialogue Editor: Rob Kuhns