Playing Politics by Jules Odendahl-James
An article that contextualizes ‘political theatre’ in relation to the Civic Practice that Michael Rohd wrote about in the previously posted article.
Polly Carl tweeted a question that brought the issue into sharp relief. She asked: “Should we make more urgent and politically relevant theater?”
While considering Polly’s query, I was struck by a question that is perhaps even more foundational: “What exactly is political in relationship to theater?”
The New Work of Building Civic Practice by Michael Rohd
A great article for artists of all sorts about the ways in which we can approach meaningful work with non-arts partners. What are our skills, our tools, our assets? What are the needs of the non-arts organizations that we are passionate about? How can these meaningfully intersect?
Producing new work does not have to only mean making new plays. And our new work practice, it can excel not just in the caliber of our expression but in the quality of our listening. If we can accomplish that, we model what civic life today desperately needs—a practice that places dialogue ahead of monologue, imagination at the heart of problem—solving, and listening equal in value to expression.
“Often at-risk youth are robbed from their innocence without them knowing. I think art is a way in which we can bear witness to what they have gone through” -Eddie Bocanegra (above, with one of his students)
Eddie Bocanegra, one of three violence interrupters with CeaseFire Chicago featured in 2011’s The Interrupters, has worked tirelessly to curb the violence on the city’s streets and provide alternatives to at-risk youth. In addition to his work as a violence interrupter, he’s worked as an educator and an advocate for ex-offenders, all while earning a bachelors in social work from Northern Illinois University.
This summer he’s collaborated with the National Museum of Mexican Art to put together “Stop the Violence with Art”, a program designed to give young people whose lives have been affected by violence a creative outlet to express their feelings.
The exhibit opens tomorrow (July 6th) with a screening of The Interrupters followed by a conversation with Eddie Bocanegra and the young artists featured.
We hear everyday about the lives lost to street violence; come by tomorrow to support some of the people working hard to make a change.
See more of Eddie’s students’ work at Hancock Highschool Art Expo
Time Warner would love it if Anonymous kept up the sales of Guy Fawkes masks, but we’d rather make our own - check out these inspired, cheap art masks a la Bread and Puppet. What about making masks from woodcuts? That’d be easy, and fun! Whose interested? We are dreaming about double sided politician masks, sheep police, or what about masks with demographics on them to bring them to life?
Artists, who is interested in making banners, signs?
Meeting Saturday, 6pm, at Congress & Michigan to discuss #J28. If you love Chicago as much as we do join us. This is not about the battle against the 1% but the battle of our youth against one another.
Source: damatthproblem
