LIVE ARTS IN RESISTANCE (LAIR)
is a partnership between NAKA Dance Theater and EastSide Arts Alliance.
LIVE ARTS IN RESISTANCE is a dynamic series of performance showcases, artist residencies, and community town halls that address racial inequity
and white supremacy in popular culture. Collectively, we contribute to a new cultural consciousness of self-determination and indigenous knowledge as integral
to our resistance to systemic oppression and imperialism.
LIVE ARTS IN RESISTANCE includes dance, theater, poetry and interdisciplinary performances, curated
by socially-conscious artists. Together we push the boundaries of our practices and contemplate our role and responsibility in connecting the many struggles of our respective communities both locally and globally.
LIVE ARTS IN RESISTANCE fosters risk-taking, rigor, and a radical critique on the role of political activism, cultural work and art in society. This role is historically rooted in a culture fighting for justice, equity and self-determination — the political empowerment of our people.
We seek to create a place where artists and audience members can engage in a meaningful dialogue about innovative ideas and experimental work; where artists can reflect on the process of creating progressive art and revolutionary movements; redefining aesthetics and ethics that will decolonize minds. There is a profound need to construct a culture of resistance outside of “market forces”; a culture that will defend our communities from the current reactionary political climate. With the absurdity of backward national elections, xenophobia, fascist policing and militarism that has been shaping our lives, inflamed racism, sexism and classism are being rekindled on the world stage.
We reiterate Malcolm X’s words that “Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedom struggle”. And once again, we must SEIZE THE TIME! — to magnify our struggle, giving wings to our imagination and finding new ways to speak our truth.
The Live Arts in Resistance series is supported by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Building Demand for the Arts initiative, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The California Arts Council, The Caw Foundation and generous individual donors.