In 2020, Ecce Arts launched TACET in response to a time of global upheaval, inviting a diverse group of artists to create new works that spoke directly to shifting social, cultural, and environmental realities. The project embraced silence not as absence, but as a space for reflection, imagination, and renewal.
Rooted in the musical term meaning “to be silent,” TACET became a framework through which each commissioned artist turned inward, drawing from personal histories, community narratives, and the urgency of the times to craft vibrant new pieces. Their work shaped the 2020–2021 season with a spirit of inquiry and creative resilience.
Across the year, three artist groups- 6 Pop Themes (Luiz Castelões & Donald Berman), inexorable (Mattia Maurée, Ashleigh Gordon, Mike Truesdell, Yazier Henry), and We Out Here! (Yvette Janine Jackson, Clifton Joey Guidry III, Ayodele Casel)- developed bold new commissions. Performances are available in our members area, and the artists’ creative processes are shared below for deeper insight into the project’s evolution.
The following groups of artists created exciting new works throughout the 2020/2021 season:
6 Pop Themes
Luiz Castelões, composer
Donald Berman, pianist
inexorable
Mattia Maurée, composer
Ashleigh Gordon, viola
Mike Truesdell, percussion
Yazier Henry, poet
We Out Here!
Yvette Janine Jackson, composer
Clifton Joey Guidry III, bassoon
Ayodele Casel, tap dancer