VANESSA HIDARY is an internationally acclaimed Spoken Word Artist, solo performer, author, actress, writer, director. Her nationally toured solo show, “Culture Bandit” chronicles Vanessa’s coming of age during the golden age of Hip-Hop. In 2011, Hidary published her book,  The Last Kaiser Roll in the Bodega (Penmanship Books, 2011).

Hidary has aired three times on “Russell Simmons Presents ‘Def Poetry Jam’ on HBO, and is featured in the award winning film  The Tribe, which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, The Tribeca Film Festival, and The Jewish Motifs International Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland. She has also developed and directed the show MONOLOGUES: an evening of solo performances by 15 young adults, exploring their Jewish identity, inspired by a 10-day trip through Israel. In July 2015, Hidray created The Kaleidoscope Project, a narrative-arts driven initiative. In partnership with UJA, the 14th Street Y, and Be’chol Lashon, Kaleidoscope presented the Kaleidoscope Monologue Showcase to sold out audiences over a three-day period in mid-July 2015.
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