The Bengsons & More to Receive 2024 Democracy Cycle Commissions

The Perelman Performing Arts Center and Civis Foundation (a Galvan Initiatives affiliate) revealed the eight artistic commissions for the inaugural year of The Democracy Cycle, a program which invites artists to explore themes relating to the nature, practice, and experience of democracy. This multi-year program is committed to 25 commissions across theater, opera, dance, music, and multidisciplinary practices.

The artists and artistic collaborations chosen to receive the 2024 Democracy Cycle commissions are Javaad Alipoor; Baye & Asa; Charlotte Brathwaite, June Cross and Sunder Ganglani; Pablo Manzi and Bonobo Teatro; Angélica Negrón; Vickie Ramirez, Ty Defoe and Jeanette Harrison; Abigail Nessen Bengson and The Bengsons; Talvin Wilks and Paul Schiff Berman.

Each selected project will receive $60,000 in support, consisting of a $30,000 commission and another $30,000 for project development.

Launched in January 2024, the first open call of The Democracy Cycle received 450 submissions from around the world, from artists representing all eligible artistic disciplines of theater, music, dance, opera, and multidisciplinary practice. After a first round of review by 27 readers, a panel of 7 arts- and democracy-workers facilitated by the Director of The Democracy Cycle, Boo Froebel, reviewed the finalist proposals and chose the final 8 commissions together. The panelists were: Ludovic Blain (Executive Director of the California Donor Table), Anthony Roth Costanzo (countertenor and General Director and
President of Opera Philadelphia), Leslie Ishii (Artistic Director, Perseverance Theatre; CAATA Board President), Sheila Lewandowski (Executive Director of The Chocolate Factory Theater), Samora Pinderhughes (composer, multidisciplinary artist and Director of The Healing Project), David Thomson (interdisciplinary artist, arts consultant, and co-founder of The Artist Sustainability Project), and Laurie Woolery (director, playwright, community organizer, and Director of Public Works at The Public Theater).

The Democracy Cycle is designed to support new live performance works that illuminate the promise, practice, imperfection, and opportunity of democracy. The Democracy Cycle aims to invigorate discussion and expression of democratic values by supporting the unique abilities of artists to imagine new worlds, envision new possibilities, and provoke meaningful discourse across any number of divides.

For more information, visit: https://pacnyc.org/the-democracy-cycle-2024-recipients/