Friends is a work created in residence at CounterPULSE in response to the death of a close friend of director Eric Kupers. Friend is an immersive work and these excerpts are crafted specifically to respond to this particular space and event, and to include guest artist John Killacky.

Dedicated to Sharon Mussen.

Created and performed by the Dandelion Dancetheater ensemble:
Cristina Carrasquilo, Patric Cashman, Dana DeGuszman, Chris Gallegos, Julia Hallos, Corissa Johnson, Eric Kupers, Heather Lukens, Suki O’Kane, Keith Penney, Anne-Lise Reusswig, Sue Roginski, David Ryther, Stacz Sadowski, Ben Wright, (with additional contributions by Dorine Hoeksema, Mickey Kay, Mantra Plonsey)

Guest Artist: John Killacky

As arts groups seek to deepen the experiences of audiences and visitors, a new body of practice has emerged. Alan Brown and Rebecca Ratzkin of WolfBrown will share highlights from their new report, Making Sense of Audience Engagement, which was commissioned for this occasion. Learn how all types of arts groups are engaging audiences and visitors through innovative programs and activities.

In March 2011 the live webcast of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas from the Sydney Opera House stunned the arts community when it presented the most-streamed concert in the history of the internet with more than 33 million views around the world. What can arts institutions learn from this project that may be applicable at home? Learn what made this experiment work from project architect and artistic director of YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2009 and 2011, Jessica Lustig.

Singer and activist Linda Ronstadt and Eugene Rodriquez (Director of Los Cenzontles) talk about how Los Cenzontles created cultural programming in response to shifting demographics.

De Facto: in practice but not necessarily by law. Actually existing, exp. When without lawful authority existing in fact, whether legally recognized or not. D’FaQto Life (pronounced De Facto) is a roller-coaster ride of emotions with stories executed through stand-up, spoken word/poetry, and theater. D’Lo explores topics relating to South Asia and transgender social justice from the perspective of a child of immigrant parents, raised in hip hop culture while trying to negotiate how to identify as “queer” intersected with a passion to create political art. Performance followed by an audience conversation facilitated by Jessica Robinson Love, director of CounterPulse.

Social media is changing how arts nonprofits interact with audiences, deliver programs, lead, manage, and even govern. This presentation by noted author and non-profit trainer Beth Kanter will focus on what arts nonprofits can do to create and adopt anetworked mindset, learn from experimentation, and foster a social organizational culture.

CultureStrike is rooted in the conviction that images and stories can transform the debate around immigration. Integrating cultural strategy and cultural organizing, CultureStrike works with some of the nation's most accomplished and acclaimed artists, writers, arts organizations and writing organizations across the country to build the public will to support just ways to address the immigration crisis. CultureStrike is an intervention into the debate around immigration that reaches audiences beyond the bounds of what community organizing and policy-based organizing can do. With visual artist Favianna Rodriguez and author Jeff Chang.

Backstage before a recent performance, director and classically trained Indonesian dancer Sri Susilowati sat eating a large meal. She looked around and saw the other dancers sticking to a few carrots before they hit the stage. Commissioned by the CounterPULSE Performing Diaspora program, Eating Dance features contemporary dance and spoken word along with traditional Indonesian dance vocabularies to address food rituals and the meaning of food for dancers in Indonesia.

Meant to be understood as more of an art band (without music) than simply a performance art duet, this work steals from notions of the femme-fatale in fiction and "reality," infuses this with an unhealthy dose of childhood embarrassment, and toys with notions of audience patience as Mike and Mary grapple with their own relationship to "instant gratification." Mike and Mary are Mica Sigourney and Maryam Farnaz Rostami, known alternately as drag queens VivvyAnne ForeverMORE and Mona G. Hawd.

Duniya Dance and Drum Company & the African Advocacy Network present Lanyee. Directed by Bongo Sidibe, Lanyee uses West African dance and drumming to tell the story of a man named Mamadou, who leaves his disharmonious village in a quest for peace. He encounters many obstacles along the way, but Mamadou finally reaches a land of musicians and dancers, and brings them back to his village, showing his king and fellow countrymen how art has the ability to bring people of different ethnicities and classes together.

A space for art and encounter with musicians, dancers, poets, pop-up artists and opportunities for informal interchange on stage and off

Because the best parts of conferences always happen in the bar. And yes, it’s an actual bar.

Open 11:30-3:30

Curated by Todd Brown, Michael Warr, Kevin Seaman, and Eboni Hawkins with thanks to the Red Poppy Art House.