Crossing The Pond, Again!
It seems like the United Kingdom is becoming my second home! I have crossed the pond from the U.S. to the U.K. several times, representing both Sins Invalid and the Krip-Hop Nation. In the last three years, I’ve been to London, Liverpool, and now Manchester, as an artist and cultural critic.
Late last year, I received an e-mail from the Decibel Performing Arts Showcase (DPAS), an international arts festival. They invited me to be a delegate at the 2011 showcase, on September 12-16th.
DPAS seeks to promote diverse practice in the performing arts sector. This bi-annual event aims to more fully represent and reflect the different cultures and backgrounds that make the UK unique in the world. For the past two years, it has included people with disabilities and the art that we produce. My friends in London mentioned that the festival began as a Black arts festival, but has since transformed into the goal of diversity in the arts. If you’re interested in more history of the DPAS, check out their site.
Back to the e-mail! The invite from the DPAS explained that I was selected as one of eight recipients of a Visiting Arts International Connections bursary scheme — offering bursaries for producers, programmers, cultural critics, and artistic directors to attend the showcase with two main objectives (1) to allow them a unique opportunity to gain insight into diversity debates and policy in the UK, and (2) to enable them to act as advocates and promoters supporting diverse English artists by buying work, and introducing them to networks and cultural markets overseas. The list of eight delegates was as follows:
• Sam Cook, Director of The Dreaming: International Indigenous Festival, Australia
• Sasha Dees, independent curator and producer, Holland
• Kath Duncan, multi-media producer and cultural commentator, Australia
• Anjum Katyal, Editor, Art and the City, India
• Monique Martin, Director of Family Programming, City Parks Foundation, USA
• Leroy Franklin Moore Jr., Co-Founder of Sins Invalid, USA
• Louise Tu’u, writer, director and producer, New Zealand
• WANG Chong, Program Director of Beijing International Fringe Festival, China
• Percy Yip Tong, Director of Kool Kreol, Mauritius
As a selected cultural critic, my participation began on the first day at two panels for the Creative Case Symposium led by the British Arts Council. The British Arts Council, the BBC, art companies from all over the U.K., and art directors came together to talk about diversity in the arts. For the rest of the festival, delegates attended shows, plays, talks, and live music performances.
This is the sixth international art festival that I’ve attended outside of the U.S., and it seems like the artists have to cut so much of their work to fit in the short times to present with very little tech provided. It seemed to put a lot on the artists and directors to bring it another level. Of course, my mind was swimming thinking about how Sins Invalid would do at an international arts festival where tech is low, time is tight, and there are many other performances occurring simultaneously. How could an environment such as this support an artist with multiple disabilities like performers at Sins Invalid? Something to think about!
I had a chance to meet some wonderful critics and artists, and to network outside the festival for Sins Invalid & Krip-Hop Nation. At one point, some of us delegates did start to wonder if there would be more time for us to reflect on our experiences together, and to represent our work in an additional panel. Although we asked for that opportunity to share our thoughts and artwork, it was turned down. Beyond that sticky situation, I made connections that I hope will benefit Sins Invalid and Krip-Hop Nation down the road. It felt good to meet so many artists with disabilities from all over the world.
As I walked out of San Francisco International Airport I realized that my passport will expire in a few months, and I thought to myself: I can’t let that happened with possible offers for future gigs across the pond with Sins Invalid and Krip-Hop Nation in the coming New Year!!
Happily back in the Bay,
Leroy Moore Jr.
Sins Invalid’s Community Relations Director
Empowerment through Movement: A Sins Invalid Workshop with Antoine Hunter
Sunday, December 4th, 1-4pm
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts: 2868 Mission St, San Francisco, CA (between 24th & 25th)
Cost: Free; Registration required
Click here for our Facebook event page
What does your body want to communicate? Let your disabled body dance its story. What movement says you feel alive, what movement tells us you’re gonna cry? Explore new things and old, open up to the spirit and soul of dance. This class is for all levels and abilities. If you are shy, this is the class for you. If you are a professional, this class is for you. If you think you can’t dance, this class is for you. Come explore and learn and move and let the movement move you – there will be you in every dance, and in dance there will be everything.
Movement Workshop Facilitator and Sins Performer, Antoine Hunter
Antoine Hunter is an Oakland-based dancer/choreographer, who started his career as a jazz dancer in High School, and expanded his repertoire to include ballet, jazz, tap, African, country-western, latin, and hip hop. Antoine teaches students at numerous schools and performing arts centers, including Ross Dance Company, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, ODC Dance Center, Youth in Arts, and more. He is a proud member of both the African-American and Deaf/HOH communities.
Our workshops are open to anyone who is interested in exploring the intersection of sexuality and disability, regardless of prior experience in movement or performance. If space becomes limited, we are prioritizing participants who identify as having a disability. The space is wheelchair accessible. Please refrain from using scented products, although we cannot guarantee a scent-free space.
To register, email your name, phone number and access needs to info@sinsinvalid.org.
Webstreaming Updates!
[transcript below]
Hey there Sins friends and fam –
Well here we are, finally at the week we’ve been working toward – the Sins Invalid 2008 full show is streaming online this week 24 hours a day and we want you to watch it!!! We know that many of you are as excited as we are here at Sins Central. We have gotten word of viewing parties happening in cities all over the continent such as Houston, Portland, New York City, Raleigh, Vancouver, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Berkeley, Chicago, Boston, and more!
You can personally access the show by going to dualpowerproductions.com/sins-invalid. There will be a PayPal button on the same page, with which you can donate anywhere from 0 to a million dollars. Don’t worry though, you do not need a PayPal account to do this, just a valid debit or credit card. And if you are not paying, you don’t need a card at all!
In order to stream, you are going to need Flash Player, so if you don’t have it on your computer make sure you have downloaded the program beforehand so that you don’t have any hang ups when you are ready to view.
We recommend that viewing party hosts load the video before your guests arrive, so that you don’t need to pause the video in the middle of viewing to wait for it to load!
There are also juicy and informative viewing packets available for download and you can access them via the links in the post below.
The night of the video chat Q & A with Patty Berne and Leroy Moore is Thursday, August 11th, 6 PM Pacific and 9 PM Eastern Standard Time. Tune in if you can, it’s gonna be great!
Happy ‘n Sexy Viewing,
Your friends at Sins
Video Transcript:
Hey, Beast Von Fancy here, and I am so excited to tell you that this is it, the week that we’ve been waiting for- Sins Invalid’s full 2008 show is online this week, 24 hours a day! You can access it by going to dualpowerproductions.com/sins-invalid. You’ll need a version of flash player in order to view the show, and we recommend that those of you hosting viewing load the show before having your folks come over. [Just so that you don’t have to pause it and have an awkward loading, waiting moment in the middle of your party].
We know that a lot of you are just as excited as we are here at Sins Central about this event, because we’ve gotten word of viewing parties happening all over the continent, in cities such as: Houston, Portland, NYC, Raleigh, Vancouver, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Berkeley, Chicago, Boston, and more! Also, if you’re in the New York City area, you should totally check out the event happening at Bluestockings Bookstore, located on 172 Allen St, in downtown Manhattan. Bluestockings is going to be having a fundraiser for Sins Invalid and Bluestockings’ Collective, at 7 PM to 9 PM on August 10th, and you should definitely stop by. There’s going to be screening of the 2008 show, followed by a discussion and all of this is going to be ASL interpreted, YAY!
Also, don’t forget to tune in on August 11th, Leroy Moore and Patty Berne are going to be online with a video chat Q & A.
Happy and Sexy Viewing ya’ll. I have to get back to the show, it’s at the part with the banana!
(transcript below)
Here is the viewing packet you have all been waiting for:
And here all the details on how to watch the show:
- Aug. 6th-12th, 24 hours a day: You can view the 2008 annual performance on demand at http://dualpowerproductions.com/sins-invalid/.
- Aug. 11th (Thursday), 6 p.m. PST: Participate in the live online Q&A with Patty Berne and Leroy Moore.
- Payment is on a sliding scale starting at $0, but we are asking for a minimum donation of $10 per person, payable via PayPal on the same page as the video.
- Our viewing packet will be downloadable from this page soon, and includes the 2008 show program, access suggestions for group viewing, and juicy discussion questions.
- A message board will be on the page with the video throughout the streaming, so you can share your thoughts with others even if you are viewing alone.
- Email us at info@sinsinvalid.org if you would like the full text of the show. (The show is not captioned. There is ASL interpretation, but it is cut off at times.)
We will be updating the Facebook event page and this page with info. Be sure to email info@sinsinvalid.org if you have any other questions.
Fierce Blessings and Happy Viewing!
Beast Von Fancy and Allegra Stout
Video Transcript:
Beast Von Fancy here, touching base about Sins Invalids’ webstreaming event that’s happening in co-sponsorship with Fierce Bodies and in partnership with Dual Power Productions. Dual Power Productions is going to be hosting the event on their website, and we will be sending you the link to that. We’re going to be publicizing it next week, which is a week before the event starts. It starts on August 6th and continues through August 12th. It will be available every day during that week, 24 hours a day, so you can watch any time you want.
There’s also going to be a message board online at the same place as the screening, so you can see people’s comments and interact with people, even if you’re viewing the show by yourself.
We also want to emphasize that this is a fundraiser. Even though we’ve been saying that no one will be turned away for lack of funds, which is true, we still would really like to recommend that you donate a minimum of $10. And no maximum. You can donate a million dollars; that would make me feel really great!
So, the next thing we really want you to know is that there is no closed captioning on this show. So, we can send you a full text of the show via email if you email us at info@sinsinvalid.org. The Q&A with Patty Berne and Leory Moore is going to be happening on August 11th, during that week, at 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
That’s 9 p.m. East Coast Time, and then there’s the times in between. If you need help figuring that out, it took me a minute, I’m happy, I’ll be there for you.
So, that’s all the info. It’s: money, money, money; happening 24 hours a day August 6th-12th; hosted by Dual Productions; we can send you the full text of the show; Patty Berne and Leroy Moore will be on call at 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time; we will be publicizing the link and all information on the Facebook event page and on our website next week. So, me and [picks up footplate from wheelchair and waves it at shoulder level] my footplate would like to wish you a great day and happy viewing!
No Comments » | Leave a comment »