5 MINUTES WITH Tiffany James

If you’re in the Columbia arts scene, you may want to get acquainted with Tiffany James. Whether being on stage in plays at Trustus Theartre or involved with bettering the community through activism, she definitely makes the city a brighter place to live in.

Q: For the people who don’t know you, tell us who you are.

I am Tiffany James, a community activist and an artist. I grew up as an Army brat and adopted Columbia, SC, as home. I studied political science at Clemson University and worked on several candidate and issue-based campaigns. I have a PR Consulting company called Justice James Consulting, LLC and I’m the president of the National Action Network of Columbia. I am currently working on a campaign. When I am not promoting a candidate or advocating for an issue, I am on the stage performing, mostly in musicals.

Q: What does the experience of being a live performer mean to you?

The experience on stage means that I get to embody a character and introduce them to others. I get to let others explore a life they may have never known if I did not share it with them. I get to connect with the audience by telling the story of someone I have become. I give that character a voice and the space to be seen and heard. My hope is for the audience to be empathetic to the character with the hope that their story will inspire them to take action on an issue in the world or in their own lives.

Q: Being an artist, what do you love most about the scene here in Columbia?

Wow! I love so much about the art scene in Columbia! I love the vibrancy and the variety! I sing, act, and dance so at anytime during the week, I can find a show at Trustus Theatre, The Nickelodeon Theater or any of our wonderful theaters we are blessed to have. I can go to a Mo’ Betta Soul Loft Session hosted by you! I can listen to Cola Jazz at a local bar or go out salsa dancing. I relish in the art displays at the Tapp’s Arts Center and the Columbia Museum of Art. Lastly, you absolutely cannot beat the connection between artists here. We see each other and we support each other. That’s paramount to a thriving art scene. Cohesiveness. Connection. Community.

Q: What’s next?

Ha! I do have a lot on my plate. Next? I’m sure whatever is next will involve advocating for an issue on stage or off stage.

Preach Jacobs, special to GoColumbia

This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 6:00 AM.