Performance and Activism in Everyday Life

Description:

This three-day program was open to emerging and experienced performance artists and aimed to expand ideas of performance art practice in relation to collaboration, community, and activism. The program was led by Cheryl L’Hirondelle; Lori Blondeau with Adrian Stimson; and Marisa Jahn and Steve Shada of pond: art, activism, and ideas. Together, the facilitators shared their collective yet varied backgrounds in performance art, interventionist art, street theatre, community activism, lo-fi media tactics, decolonization strategies, net.art, installation art, writing, critical analysis, vocal technique, and movement. 

Participants were asked to identify and bring one issue or question within either their art practice or life that they would like to explore over the course of the program. Participants focused on the development of performance-based interventionist strategies using voice, movement, space, objects, writing, costume, and the creation of personas. Participants discussed interactive and collaborative relationships between performers, audiences, and communities from a range of cultural perspectives.