coalition of creative artists

The Coalition of Creative Artists is a group of innovative artists from many disciplines who are interested in exploring creativity while encouraging their audience to ponder important issues. COCA has no religious affiliations; we are interested in investigating the nature of creativity for the benefit of all. We also believe that by inviting our audience to participate in that investigation we collectively contribute to the betterment of the human condition.

COCA has performed interdisciplinary Arts events since 2000. Rocco and his wife Denise founded this interdisciplinary Arts group as a way to explore the educational and insightful aspect of creativity through Music, Art, Dance and Poetry. Rocco John serves as the Artistic Director for the group and The Rocco John Group is the musical component for the group. Rocco has written large scale works which serve as the basis upon which the COCA show is designed. Each show is a spectacle designed to intrigue, engage and ask questions of its audience. Audience participation is an integral part of each performance

As an example, COCA show “Journey to the Light” was staged as follows:

Premise:
Movement 1.The innocence of birth and its bittersweet limitations and illusions.
Movement 2.The hardships and trials of the struggle to free ourselves from our physical limitations and our ego.
Movement 3.The awareness that by trust in the beauty of our human spirit, Light is revealed.

Beginning with a series of Installation rooms, the evening is a multi-disciplinary exploration using three improvisational movements of music, poetry, painting and dance to explore the connection between the human spirit and creativity. Structured audience participation is included throughout the event. Often there is a “meet the artists”segment where audience members can ask questions about the work or the concept.

COCA artists believe that the creative process is a way of connecting to universal truths about people. To establish that visual connection for the show, the COCA installation artists create environments throughout the space using mixed-media installations to evoke thought and enhance the theme. The evening is divided into movements in order to allow for collaborative exploration by artists working in a variety of disciplines.

The Rocco John Group, COCA’s musicians, improvise on a Jazz Composition written by its founder, Rocco John Iacovone. The piece is written around the theme of our journey and our “Journey to the Light”. The Rocco John Group creates the music in response to the other artists’ work. As the music develops the theme, the Coca painters capture the essence of each movement by moving between paintings to collaborate with each other, the musicians, poets, and dancers. Painting stations are set up for the audience to work as well. The COCA painters use these paintings as the basis for the final set of work. By the end of the evening, the COCA painters complete collaborative works .At the same time, COCA dancers perform improvisational movement based on the music and painting that is being created. Throughout the evening, the poets read work based on the theme. The energy and pro-active participation of the audience is an integral part of the success of our collective journey. Immersed in the creative energy of the room, everyone present can “Journey to the Light” together.
E-mail: rocco@roccojohnmusic.com