Van Alen Variety Show

What will the aftermath of the 2016 election mean for cities? Join us for a post-Election Day celebration of the mandate of everyday city dwellers to improve one another’s lives. No matter if the unthinkable happens on November 8, we’ll apply performance, satire, and rapid presentations to mix policy and play and proclaim the power of participation:

• Concrete Justice and Theatre of the Oppressed present “Homestead Instead: Reclaiming the Dream,” an interactive play addressing issues of homelessness, gentrification, and homesteading, based on the real-life experiences of the actors
• Protest Karaoke with artists Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere: Choose from thousands of popular titles in the artists’ hand-bound karaoke songbooks, decontextualizing pop into politics
• Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Community Boards but were afraid to ask: Van Alen Director of Research Anne Guiney on finding a sense of home in the maze of subcommittees, long meetings, and strong personalities of city politics at its most local
• “Connecting Initiatives,” an exploration of international models for how elected leaders can better connect with citizens and communities through alternative initiatives, with Yazmany Arboleda (Nairobi: “Color in Faith”), New York-based artist; Hanif Yazdi (New York City: “NYC ID”), urban planner, Office of the Mayor; Kouki Mojadidi (Kabul: “Women Centers”), architect; Discussion Convener: Francisco Brown; (Kabul: “Border Protection”), design professional and ARQUINE Magazine correspondent

To register and for more info, click here.

This event is part of the fall 2016 program festival, Mandate.