Events & Calendars "Art, Community and Social Justice" Workshops

As part of a weekend exploring how art-making can affect and be affected by communities, internationally renowned artists of theater and dance Ping Chong and Amie Dowling will each give a workshop:

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: "Performing Arts and Community Exchange" with Amie Dowling.
In this experiential workshop, writing, movement, and theater exercises will be introduced that can lead to collaborative creative work with men and women who are, or have been, incarcerated. "Performing Arts and Community Exchange" is designed for participants who are interested in merging activism, performance and teaching.

Dowling, associate professor in dance and social justice at the University of San Francisco and artist-in-residence at the San Francisco Jails, will talk about her collaborations with incarcerated individuals on the creation of original dance/theater pieces; a most recent project is the dance film "Well Contested Sites," filmed on Alcatraz Island.

2 to 5 p.m.: “Introduction to Socially Engaged Theater” with Ping Chong and Company.
This workshop will explore techniques used in Ping Chong & Company's interview-based theater project, the "Undesirable Elements" series. Participants will learn methods of gathering stories within specific communities.

Ping Chong, known for his innovative multidisciplinary works that explore the intersections of history, race, art and technology in the modern world, will speak about "Undesirable Elements," an ongoing series of community-specific, interview-based theater works that examine issues of culture and identity of individuals who are outsiders within their mainstream community.

The events are free and open to students, faculty and staff of Amherst College as well as community members. Space is limited for the workshops, and advance signup is recommended. Please email Linda Celi at ltceli@amherst.edu to reserve a place in the workshops.

These events are sponsored by the Copeland Colloquium at Amherst College, a yearlong initiative exploring "Art in Place/the Place of Art."