The Open Choir, a performative Event by the Open Program of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards, is an exploration of what we consider a forgotten art form, which allows for fluid and active participation by all who attend.
www.theworkcenter.org
It is a free, open event that questions our assumptions about community, belonging, identity, diversity, cultural appropriation, and performance. This unique, non-sectarian dynamic meeting of people through songs of the African diaspora, carefully led by a trained core group of artists, allows people to come in contact with each other and with themselves through songs, dance, and interaction within a participatory performative context. Participants, coming from different backgrounds, co-create an artwork beyond cultural differences, catalyzing a shared space of meaningful recognition and interaction.
This new/old performative art form disrupts the common western notion of a choir. Within the Open Choir, songs begin around the participants. People are faced with choices: to witness, to move into the space of action, to follow remaining to the side, to find their own way to be present and support the work of the others. The songs themselves, their rhythms and melodies help to initiate engagement. The effect of the event encircles everyone in attendance, while the core group aids participants by articulating the space and leading the songs, actively building the evening together in present time.
Open Choir creates a possibility to bring people from different
socio-economic backgrounds into a space beyond cultural and/or linguistic borders; to create a safe space to experience care for encounter and action together.
Over the past year and a half the Open Choirs were hosted in West Park Presbyterian Church in NYC and in the Public Library in Pontedera. During this time Open Program has begun training a small group of NYC artists, the NYC Seed Group, to help lead Open Choirs in NYC.
photocredit: Paul Bernbach
The Open Choir is part of ‚Encounters 2‘ – a series of events from May 20th to June 1st 2016 – organized by .ditiramb and the Workcenter. http://ditiramb.org/