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DANCE NEWS: New York Live Arts Presents 9th "Live Ideas" Festival of Art and Ideas on Social & Environmental Justice
Co-curated With Slow Factory: "Live Ideas 2023: Planet Justice - Are You Here for It*?"
New York Live Arts presents the 9th interdisciplinary humanities festival Live Ideas 2023, Planet Justice: Are you here for it*?, this May 17-21. “It” is defined as social and environmental justice for collective liberation - radical justice and human rights for all living beings on Mother Earth. The festival is co-curated with Slow Factory, an environmental & social justice nonprofit organization working at the intersections of climate and culture to build partnerships and community that advance climate-positive global movements through the lens of human rights, science, technology, and fashion. Five days of activity are designed to address community action, climate justice and human rights through art, science, and innovation. An outdoor festival, interactive installation, Study Hall, and performance premieres in Live Arts’ studio and theater, and offsite at partner Pioneer Works, feature artists, scientists, thinkers, and innovators creating healing solutions grounded in the Earth. Highlights from this illustrious collection include Daina Ashbee, Fogo Azul NYC, Mykki Blanco, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, Dynasty Handbag, Mutulu Shakur, Dr. Vandana Shiva, and Xiuhtezcatl.
“We are thrilled to be working with the Slow Factory team who bring with them not only the knowledge and creative thinking from their many years in the area of climate justice, but also a source of indefatigable energy, hopefulness, and resolve that inspires action and change,” said Live Arts Artistic Leadership, Bill T. Jones and Janet Wong.
The festival kicks off May 17 with an Opening Party marking the first night of programming, as well as a new installation by Slow Factory in Live Arts’ lobby Ford Foundation Live Gallery. The installation Beyond the drumroll, a wake up call is a performance and interactive exhibition by Collis Browne, Slow Factory and guest collaborators, urging guests to reckon with the necessary climate action needed before reaching irreversible climate disaster. The drums will be made of Slowhide—Slow Factory Lab’s plant-based, nonplastic bio-leather made of tea and coffee waste.
Directly following on Live Arts’ main stage, and again on May 18 & 20, will be the US Premiere of polyphonic interactive performance installation Altamira 2042 by Brazilian actress, director and researcher, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha. The voices of the Xingu River in the Amazon—the riverside people, the indigenous populations, artists, ecologists, animals, forest rainfall, the river itself—are transmitted and amplified in this techno-shamanic ritual where the hydroelectric Belo Monte Dam and its devastating impact becomes the myth of the enemy.
On May 18 and 19, New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award Winning Canadian artist of Métis and European descent, Daina Ashbee presents the world premiere of hello, buffalo. Ashbee gestures to perceived beings and animals with which humans share space and questions our tendency to categorize, humanize and control. Soloist Imara Bosco sucks in audiences with the power, forces, cries and songs of creature and nature, wiping away layers of human consciousness and diving into the experience of other living frequencies. These images, vibrations, and somatic impulses are reminders that mother nature will be here when we are gone. hello, buffalo is presented with support from the Québec Government Office in New York, who will host the opening night reception.
The afternoon of May 19, Slow Factory will host their critically acclaimed Study Hall in the Live Arts theater. The gathering will feature panels “Making the Revolution Irresistible,” which examines the artist’s role in shifting culture and building power, and “Changing Everything,” which explores change from a psychological, spiritual & scientific perspective, featuring participants such as Dr. Maytha Alhassen, Rachel Cargle, Antionette Carroll, Wawa Gatheru, Elena Gonzales, Ijeoma Oluo, Zaya Ribeiro, Vivien Sansour, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Mutulu Shakur, Jen White-Johnson and Xin Liu.
The pinnacle of Live Ideas 2023 will take place on the afternoon of May 20. An outdoor festival will be free and open to the public. The afternoon will feature performances, workshops, and more from Fogo Azul NYC, Mykki Blanco, Pierre Kwenders, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Olivia Rose, Makayla Wray, DJ Ushka, and more. Encouraging people of all ages, the day will also offer an experimental farmers market and underscore New York Live Arts’ public lobby with access to restrooms and water, free Wifi, and daily gallery hours.
The grand finale of the festival on May 20 & 21 is a world premiere co-presented offsite at Pioneer Works. Dynasty Handbag’s Titanic Depression—sends up James Cameron’s 1997 Hollywood hit, reimagining it as a hilariously bleak parable of human arrogance in today’s era of runaway, consumerism-driven climate change. This is Dynasty Handbag’s first major institutional commission in nearly eight years.
“What drew us to this project is the opportunity to create a body of work that is both intersectional and intergenerational by expanding on the topic of climate justice and human rights through healing, arts & body-based investigation. Slow Factory’s mission is to inspire transformative change towards collective liberation through culture, education and science. We are thrilled to be collaborating with the iconic institution New York Live Arts & to be collaborating closely with Bill T. Jones and his amazing team,” says Slow Factory founder, Céline Semaan.
In the past year, New York Live Arts launched a Green Initiative to move towards a more sustainable future by examining every aspect of the organization and affecting change where possible—from theatrical lighting, hospitality, cleaning and paper products, to travel and touring. Live Arts will be asking audiences to join the efforts to offset carbon emissions. More information will be available soon.
Live Arts’ 2022-2023 season presents artists and thought leaders who participate courageously in the world of ideas and ask difficult questions. Forwarding a vision to be a conduit for engagement through the arts and body-based investigation, Live Arts prioritizes creating communities, confluences, and platforms for the exchange of ideas. Ticket pricing is on a variable scale, with free events and a minimum of $15 made possible by Con-Edison. Live Arts offers a standard ticket price, as well as options to pay more or less.
Live Ideas 2023, Planet Justice: Are you here for it*?
Co-Curated with Slow Factory May 17-21, 2023
FULL SCHEDULE:
Beyond the drumroll, a wake up call
Ford Foundation Live Gallery - Interactive Lobby Installation
May 17-31
Gallery hours: Daily, 10AM-10PM
Opening Party with Slowhide drums
May 17, 6PM
Ford Foundation Live Gallery
Free with RSVP
Beyond the drumroll, a wake up call — a performance and interactive exhibition by Collis Browne, Slow Factory and guest collaborators, urging guests to reckon with the necessary climate action needed before reaching irreversible climate disaster. The drum is the oldest instrument, representing our connection to the rhythms of life and nature. Slow Factory Labs have created drums using their plant-based Slowhide instead of plastic drum heads. In 2020 we entered the Decade of Action according to the United Nations, and as of 2023, no decisive action has been taken by any global government. With the drums symbolizing the years left to take climate action, guests are invited to beat the drums, sound the alarm, and give our government a wake up call!
Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha
Altamira 2042
US Premiere
May 17, 18 & 20, 730PM
New York Live Arts Theater
Tickets start at $25
A polyphonic interactive performance installation by Brazilian actress, director and researcher, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha. The voices of the Xingu River in the Amazon—the riverside people, the indigenous populations, artists, ecologists, animals, forest rainfall, the river itself—are transmitted and amplified in a techno-shamanic ritual where the hydroelectric Belo Monte Dam and its devastating impact becomes the myth of the enemy.
Daina Ashbee
hello, buffalo
World Premiere May 18 & 19, 8PM
Studios
Tickets start at $25
Opening night Reception
May 18, 9PM
Lobby
Daina Ashbee is a Bessie Award winning Canadian artist of Métis and European descent whose work uncovers our connection to the environment, the earth and ancestors. In her new work "hello, buffalo”, Ashbee gestures to perceived beings and animals with which humans share space and questions our tendency to categorize, humanize and control. Soloist Imara Bosco sucks in audiences with the power, forces, cries and songs of creature and nature, wiping away layers of human consciousness and diving into the experience of other living frequencies. These images, vibrations, and somatic impulses are reminders that mother nature will be here when we are gone.
Study Hall
May 19, 230-530PM
New York Live Arts Theater
Tickets start at $25
A climate and social justice summit examining art, design, education, performance, science, technology and fashion’s role in collective liberation.
Opening Talk: An intergenerational perspective on Climate Justice & Human Rights with and Dr. Vandana Shiva and Céline Semaan
Making the Revolution Irresistible: A panel discussion investigating the artist’s role in shifting culture and building power with Dr. Maytha Alhassen, Rachel Cargle, Wawa Gatheru, Elena Gonzales, Ijeoma Oluo - Moderated by Céline Semaan
Changing Everything: A series of short presentations that explore change from a psychological, spiritual & scientific perspective with Jen White-Johnson:
- Equity Design the Future by Antionette Carroll
- Seeding Justice by Vivien Sansour
- From the Amazon to the World by Zaya Ribeiro
- As Above So Below by Xin Liu
Closing Discussion: Intergenerational perspective on Climate Justice & Human Rights with Mutulu Shakur
Outdoor Festival
New York Live Arts
May 20, 1-6PM
- Performances by Mykki Blanco, Collis Browne, Pierre Kwenders, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Fogo Azul Drum Parade, DJ Ushka
- Workshops with Botanical Workshop/ Olivia Rose and Upcycling Workshop with Makayla Wray
- Slow Factory’s Experimental Farmers Market with Oko Farms, Hudson Hemp, Karen Washington — Rise & Root Farm, Sky High Farms, Soul Fire Farm, Ovenly, Smallhold
Dynasty Handbag @ Pioneer Works
Titanic Depression
World Premiere
May 20 & 21, 8:30PM
Tickets $30
Co-presented at Pioneer Works
Dynasty Handbag’s Titanic Depression—sends up James Cameron’s 1997 Hollywood hit, reimagining it as a hilariously bleak parable of human arrogance in today’s era of runaway, consumerism-driven climate change. This is Dynasty Handbag’s first major institutional commission in nearly eight years.
