‘Stepping Forward: Performance Practice and Research, Here’ symposium brought together 40+ artists, curators, and practitioners for an extensive program of talks, workshops, and performances
Image of first panel discussion during day one of the symposium’s public program featuring speakers (left to right): Reem Fadda, Mohammed Kazem, Nujoom Al Ghanem, and Ammar Al Attar. Photography by The Frei.
From February 18 to 19, ‘Stepping Forward: Performance Practice and Research, Here’ symposium brought together over 40 artists, curators, and practitioners from across the MENASA region to discuss and reflect on critical issues in emergent performance practices. The public program, which included panel discussions, presentations, workshops, and performances, drew attendees from the UAE’s arts and culture community and the general public. 421, Alserkal Arts Foundation and New York University Abu Dhabi conceived, produced, and presented the program.
The symposium aimed to bring together a diverse group of researchers, academics, curators, practitioners, writers, and thinkers to unpack, extend, and liberate contemporary performance practice towards frameworks that better serve our contexts and concerns. It also served as a collective ground on which to construct new models for performance and as a catalyst for further research and critical questioning around performance as a burgeoning practice in the region.
Teams from the three institutions would like to thank all the participating speakers, contributors, and facilitators who came together for their generous contributions.
Thank you to Abhishek Majumdar, Adnan Madani, Adomas N, Ahilan Ratnamohan, Alia Hamdan, Ammar Al Attar, Awam Amkpa, Bilel El Mekki, Bill Bragin, Chinasa Vivian Ezugha, Cristiana de Marchi, Dina Akhmadeeva, Eva Bentcheva, George Jose, Ho Rui-An, Jyoti Dhar, Katia Arfara, Laila Soliman, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Mahnaz Fancy, Marsha Ginsberg, Mohammed Kazem, Moza Almatrooshi, Nadine Khalil, Nikhil Chopra, Nujoom Al Ghanem, Pushpamala N., Rabbya Naseer, Rahel Aima, Rand Abdul Jabbar, Rattanamol Singh Johal, Reem Fadda, Reem Shadid, Rose Lejeune, Saira Ansari, Sarah Brahim, Shereen Saif, Sofiane Ouissi, Sonia Khurana, Surafel W. Abebe, Tanzim Wahab, Thourayya Kreideh, Tina Sherwell, Ugoran Prasad, and Venuri Perera.
Special thanks to the teams working behind the scenes including Alla Abdunabi, Alpesh Rathod, Andrew Riad, Antoine El Khayat, Apple Grace Quambot, Ashish Thawrani, Athija Alserkal, Aya Afaneh, Brídín Clements Cotton, Darah Ghanem, Derrick Rodrigues, Diane Mehanna, Emelyn Dador, Eva Samir, Faisal Al Hassan, Fatema Al Fardan, Gemma Chance, Gila Bessarat-Waels, Inam Afreen, Joanna Settle, Jodasche Michael, Judith Montes, Mariam AbdelAziz, Mariyam Mohamed, May AlBadi, Mays Albaik, Melika Shahin, Muhammad Shahzad Albaloshi, Nada Al Mosa, Nada Raza, Neha Khandwani, Nirvana travel, Nora Yousif, Omar Hindawi, Rama Ghanem, Rahul Menon, Rajesh Kumar, Reshma Mehra, Rishi Ramachandran, Sandy Zavzavdjian, Sarah Omar, Steven Kigoye, Syed Makhdoom, Tina Galanopoulos, and Vilma Jurkute.
We would like to especially mention the important support from the teams facilitating the discussions throughout the weekend including the audio and visual technical team, the simultaneous language interpreters (English, Arabic, and French), the Sign Language interpreters Dave Michlet and Kris Espaldon, and the photography and video team from The Frei, Al Ameel, Mohammed Shabeen, Afzal Muneer, and Vimal Rose.
