Back from hiatus, Jack Conrad’s Black Sundae gives African American artists an opportunity to find out what’s happening in the world of entertainment in a sweet way . . . over ice cream.
Founded by Chicago actor and model Jack Conrad in 2000, Black Sundae is a stress-free ice cream social for Chicago actors, musicians, models, writers and all proclaimed entertainers to come together, exchange ideas and share industry news.
“Working over 15 years in the business, I realized that there were no opportunities for African American talent to connect to talk about projects and mentor with each other. The only social network opportunities took place when we saw each other at auditions,” states Conrad who recently spent three years building his acting credits in L.A.
Not only does the Black Sundae meet up allow attendees to enjoy free ice cream, participation is encouraged through open discussion moderated by Conrad who is also a professional talent coach.
“I’m old school,” insists Jack, referring to the increase in social networking through the internet. “I like paper, not Blackberry’s. As in all professions, there is still a huge value in networking face-to-face.”
The re-launch during Black History month is a timely reconnection to the events name which pays homage to Black Sunday — the 1965 civil unrest in Montgomery, Alabama.
On another historic note, the first Black Sundae event was sponsored by the Baldwin Richardson Foods Company, one of the largest African-American owned food suppliers in the U.S. and the makers of Baldwin Ice Cream since 1921.
Conrad speaks passionately about the purpose of Black Sundae which meets quarterly on the fourth Sunday of the month. As a convener, he wants to help those new to the business have a better understanding on how to navigate the unpredictable entertainment industry. “It’s all about connecting people and getting them on the right track,” he says.
“There is an overwhelming amount of information that’s not widely distributed and with infrequent casting opportunities for African American’s, Black Sundae provides an open door on learning where to take the next step.”
“I would love to network with other Black artists and learn about opportunities to utilize my talent,” states Jenà Lowe, a performer and recent Northwestern graduate planning to attend.
Attendees will get answers to career questions from those already in the business; learn tips on how to find out about new film projects, theatre auditions and casting calls; and have an opportunity to share information about their own talents and performance schedule.
Interested in joining the Black Talent Social Network?
Black Sundae 2011 kicks off Sunday, February 27 at 4 p.m. Entrance is free with a headshot, resume or composite. For more information or to join the network online, visit http://www.meetup.com/black-sundae
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