Black Spatial Relics 2023 Convening Set For This Month

Artist and scholar Dr. Omi Osun Joni L Jones names virtuosity as "the paradox of humility and fearlessness" in her work Theatrical Jazz: Performance, Àṣẹ, and the Power of the Present Moment. Black radical performance makers are rooted in what Jones refers to as the practices of ensemble and solo based-virtuosity. Black radical performance makers know when spirit is calling us forward for moments of virtuosic practice to be lights and beacons in our communities. These calls are a series of calls from and to the wilderness to gather, remember and dream. In this convening space, we are making a new thing together. We are conjuring ourselves and our conspiration anew.

The 4th Black Spatial Relics Convening, taking place from July 27-30th, 2023, is a constellation of artist talks, ceremonies, a digital performance showcase and varied conjures/facilitations on Black virtuosic hope building in Philadelphia and beyond with virtual and in-person programming curated by Arielle Julia Brown. Highlighting sacred local cultural institutions including The Colored Girls Museum, The Discovery Center and a ritual tour across the city of Philadelphia, this gathering is a space for a stirring up of a new hope, inspired entirely by the study of our ancestral and living leaders who have built for themselves and their communities a daily practice of Black virtuosic hope.

This year's convening features a critical lineup of local and globally engaged performance artists including Dr. Omi Osun Joni L Jones, Germaine Ingram, Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, Hollerin' Space, Julia Mallory, Awilda Sterling Duprey, Sonja Dumas, AZ Espinoza, nikolai mckenzie ben rema, Monèt Marshall, Candice D'Meza, LaRissa Rogers, Arielle John and others giving honor and praise to Black dignity, love, pride, faith, resilience, devotion, leadership, and vision.

We are holding space for the stirring up of hope.

Hope is a hard word and in fact sentiment to spend time with. In the last few years alone, in fact in the last few months, there are endless reasons to durationally exist in and with hopelessness and despair. As dear colleagues and friends have reminded me over the years, hope has been weaponized against us. We have many valid reasons to distrust hope. We shore it up, we are given it and then we are let down again as we are sent tumbling into despair and grief. And even with all of this, we are wondering - what happens to us as individuals and as a people when we decide we do not need hope? We must not let toxic positivity culture and the co-opting of our lifeforce by political campaigns and institutions, trick us into believing that we do not need hope in order to get free. Hope may not endure. It may only flicker. It may only be a fleeting kindling, but it is a kindling that our spirits, bodies, movements, art and communities need in order that we can have dreaming and forward movement.

This convening is a space to acknowledge, hold space and tenderness for ourselves.

This is a revival.

Come prepared to receive the spirit.

Convening Schedule - Register To Attend!

Thursday, July 27th from 6 to 8pm, there will be an opening ceremony at The Colored Girls Museum featuring an opening meditation from Ursula Rucker, a performance by Germaine Ingram and keynote by Dr. Omi Osun Jones. Due to space constraints this event is only viewable online. Register on eventbrite to join this event online via zoom here.

Friday the 28th at 2:30pm, Director and Curator, Arielle Julia Brown will introduce the 2021-2022 artist talk featuring process based refections from Awilda Sterling Duprey, Sonja Dumas, Candice D'Meza, AZ Espinoza, Arielle John, Monèt Marshall, nikolai mckenzie ben rema and LaRissa Rogersshared recently at the Black Spatial Relics Artist Retreat streamed on youtube and on zoom. Register on eventbrite here.

Friday the 28th at 5:30pm, Director and Curator Arielle Julia Brown will introduce a virtual series of experimental performances from 2021-2022 artists in residence, Awilda Sterling Duprey, Sonja Dumas, Candice D'Meza, AZ Espinoza, Arielle John, Monèt Marshall, nikolai mckenzie ben rema and LaRissa Rogers. Register on eventbrite for this event on youtube and zoom here.

Saturday the 29th, Abdul-Aliy Muhammad's Black Reverence Chair will tour four locations across the city inviting audiences to engage in affirmations guided by decorated Black artists including Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, Aisha Chambliss, Arielle Julia Brown and Ursula Rucker. Black Reverence Chair is a collective affirmation and joy ritual for Black folks. With incredible and immediate collective healing properties, this is a blessing you must not miss.This tour is collaboratively presented with generous support from Black Spatial Relics, The Museum of Black Joy and Gran Varies Storytelling Project. Register on eventbrite for one of the ritual sessions here.

Sunday the 30th from 12pm to 2:30pm, the convening will close with a gathering at The Discovery Center featuring an opening invocation by Hollerin' Space, a mutual aid think tank speculating structures of support with some facilitated by Arielle Julia Brown and a culminating grief workshop by Julia Mallory. Register to join in-person on eventbrite here.

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