La MaMa presents a Workshop on The Body as Resistance: Duration

La MaMa presents a workshop on The Body as Resistance: Duration on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 11am to 1pm at La MaMa Rehearsal Studio, 47 Great Jones Street (6th floor), NYC. Facilitator, Rafika Chawishe is organizing a two-hour workshop focusing on the field of art known as " long durational performance." The workshop will serve as an invitation to pose questions and reflect on the function of performance.

This workshop will explore areas of interest for the director dealing with the concept of "Barren”. Barren land, barren bodies, barren ideas, barren struggle, etc. Additionally, it will investigate the changes that the position of the viewer in relation to the spectacle brings to the creation of performance.

In an effort to continually challenge and expand our own boundaries, we will delve into the relationship between individuals and their environment, as well as the emotions arising from this relationship. Through a series of discussions and exercises, participants will explore whether a performance can reflect the perceptions and commitments of the viewer themselves, and how we examine our own limits using our bodies as a canvas of resistance.

If you are an artist, student, or graduate in the fine arts including dance, theater, or music, consider signing up for this thought-provoking workshop. If you do not fit into these categories and are still interested, do not hesitate to apply. To apply please submit a CV and explanation of the reasons for your interest. You can submit your application at performancelab.electra@gmail.com. There is a limited number of places available (up to 20 participants). Anyone who wants can audit the session.

RAFIKA CHAWISHE is an award-winning actress and theatermaker known for her exploration of memory, trauma, gender, and post-colonialism. Her artistic practice spans theater, multimedia, spoken word, and performance, engaging with pressing social issues.

As an advocate for children's rights, Rafika has significantly contributed to supporting unaccompanied refugee minors in Lesvos, Greece. In 2014, she co-founded THE BLIND PLATFORM with Antonis Volanakis, fostering collaboration among refugee and local artists.

Rafika has received numerous awards for her theater work and has performed in film and television, showcasing her versatility. She will appear in the upcoming series "The Second Attack," directed by the acclaimed director Barbara Eder, scheduled for release in January 2025 at ARD, Germany.

Her performances have been showcased in major cities such as Athens, Oslo, Berlin, and New York. She has collaborated with prestigious organizations like the National Theatre of Oslo and the Maxim Gorki Theatre, earning acclaim for her innovative contributions.

Recognized for her artistic excellence, Rafika has received the Ibsen scholarship and a Neon Foundation grant. A member of the Lincoln Theatre Director’s Lab and the Young Curator’s Academy, she continues to challenge and inspire audiences in contemporary theater.

LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE CLUB is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa's 63rd Season, the “La MaMa Beyond Season,” expands efforts to develop creative methods and tools for greater access to the arts. Pop-up performances and installations will be held in parks, neighborhood community centers, and online. By going beyond La MaMa’s physical campus, new audiences and artists from different contexts are welcomed into the creative process.

La MaMa has been honored with 30+ Obie Awards, dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie Awards, Villager Awards, the 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award, and most recently, a 2023 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Special Citation. We are a creative home to artists and resident companies from around the world, many of whom have made lasting contributions to the arts, including Blue Man Group, Bette Midler, Ping Chong, Jackie Curtis, Robert De Niro, André De Shields, Adrienne Kennedy, Cole Escola, Bridget Everett, Harvey Fierstein, Diane Lane, Charles Ludlam, Tom Eyen, Spiderwoman Theater, Tadeusz Kantor, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Meredith Monk, David and Amy Sedaris, Stephanie Hsu, Julie Taymor, Kazuo Ohno, Tom O’Horgan, Andrei Serban, Liz Swados, and Andy Warhol. La MaMa’s vision of nurturing new artists and new work from all nations, cultures, races, and identities remains as strong today as it was when Ellen Stewart first opened the doors in 1961.

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