José Torres Tama is an interdisciplinary artist fusing multiple genres in his exploration of the effects of media on race relations, the “American Dream” mythology, and the Latino immigrant experience. Based in New Orleans, he has toured nationally and internationally and is presented here as part of a series of public events being supported by the Bluecoat, Artsadmin, the Live Art Development Agency, the CRUCIBLE Centre and the Department of Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies at Roehampton University. Events curated and co-produced by Rajni Shah alongside a residency at Roehampton University.
Friday 8th May, 7pm
The Cone of Uncertainty: New Orleans after Katrina at Roehampton University
In this moving, visually engaging and politically provocative work, José Torres Tama recounts his escape on a stolen school bus from the flooded city of New Orleans, where has lived since 1984. This live art multimedia performance ritual, combining personal stories, visual tableau and film projections, presents a first-hand account of the devastation and abandonment of a city and its people.
Further details: [email protected]
Wednesday 13th May, 7pm (free)
José Torres Tama in conversation with Rajni Shah at the Arts Café and Bar, Toynbee Studios
In September 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina hit, Torres Tama performed a series of improvised rituals as a personal act of mourning in the devastated neighbourhood of the Lower 9th, invoking a character informed by Yoruba religious practices to channel the pain and suffering of this terrain. The photographic documentation of this performance, Lower 9th Ritual of Mourning, will serve as a starting-point for a discussion around performing identity and the politics of race in the Obama era.
www.artsadmin.co.uk
Friday 15th May, 8pm (free)
The Cone of Uncertainty: New Orleans after Katrina at the Bluecoat, Liverpool
In this moving, visually engaging and politically provocative work, José Torres Tama recounts his escape on a stolen school bus from the flooded city of New Orleans, where has lived since 1984. This live art multimedia performance ritual, combining personal stories, visual tableau and film projections, presents a first-hand account of the devastation and abandonment of a city and its people.
Followed by responses from Rajni Shah and Joshua Abrams and a discussion with the artist chaired by Rachel Rogers.
Saturday 16th May, 12noon-2pm (£5/3)
Masterclass at the Bluecoat, Liverpool
José Torres Tama leads participants in an exploration of the creative strategies used in his visually dynamic and politically charged work, including bilingual texts, movement, ritual and exaggerated personae.
Box office: 0151 702 5324
www.thebluecoat.org.uk
Supported in part by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal agency.