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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240330T160000
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DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240108T165707Z
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SUMMARY:Shiraz Panorama
DESCRIPTION:TICKET PRE-SALES HAVE ENDED. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR. \nThe Shiraz Arts Festival was a platform for cultural exchange that brought together artists from around the world to share and celebrate their diverse artistic expressions. One notable event from the festival was the “Stockhausen Panorama” in 1972\, which celebrated the work of the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen through a series of multiple concerts. Our “Shiraz Panorama” celebrates that legacy through the rich lens of Philadelphia’s vibrant performing arts community. Mina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew will present a new work inspired by the Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds\,” followed by a gallery tour with curator Vali Mahlouji. Traditional Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance will be performed by USILOQUY DANCE\, and the evening will include a cultural debate with special guests. Jupiter Blue\, featuring members of Sun Ra Arkestra\, will captivate with guitar and vocals\, leading to traditional Balinese music and dance by Gamelan Gita Santi x Modero & Company\, and a striking performance of Luciano Berio’s “Sequenza III per voce” (1965) by Alize Rozsnyai. Experimental percussion by Shakoor Hakeem & Pete Angevine\, Toshi Makihara’s unique fusion of percussion and dance\, and traditional Korean percussion by Uriol우리얼 will round out this vibrant celebration of world arts. \nThis event runs from 4pm to 10pm\, and the exhibition will be open this day from 2pm to 10pm.   \n\nSCHEDULE\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nTIME\nTHEATER\nGALLERIES\n\n\n4:00 PM\n7 VALLEYS: REWIND/REWILD\nMina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew perform a new work inspired by the Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds”\n\n\n\n\n\nGALLERY TOUR\nwith “A Utopian Stage” curator Vali Mahlouji\n\n\n5:00 PM\nUSILOQUY DANCE\ntraditional Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance\n\n\n\n\n\nA CULTURAL ATLAS DEBATE\nwith Vali Mahlouji and Peter Crimmins\n\n\n6:00 PM\nJUPITER BLUE\nguitar and vocals from members of Sun Ra Arkestra\n\n\n\n\n\nBREAK\n\n\n7:00 PM\nGAMELAN GITA SANTI x MODERO & COMPANY\ntraditional Balinese music and dance\n\n\n\n\n\nALIZE ROZSNYAI\nperforming Luciano Berio “Sequenza III per voce” (1965)\n\n\n8:00 PM\nUNIVERSAL RHYTHM\nExperimental rhythm & drone with percussion & electronics – Pete Angevine and Shakoor Hakeem\, percussion\, Chris Powell  and Manna Pourrezaei\, drones\n\n\n\n\n\nTOSHI MAKIHARA\nsolo drum improvisation\n\n\n9:00 PM\nURIOL우리얼\ntraditional Korean percussion ensemble\n\n\n\n\n\nADDITIONAL INFORMATION: \nEach performance will be approximately 30mins.  All start times are approximate and subject to change. Only one act will be performing at a time. \nPerformances will take place in the Theater and Galleries and audiences will be asked to move to different spaces through out the event. \nA single general admission ticket is good for one individual for the whole day.  Audiences may arrive or depart at any time they wish.  Re-entry (with provided wristband) will be permitted. \n  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Mantra\, for two Pianos\, Karlheinz Stockhausen (composer)\, Alfons Kontarsky\, Aloys Kontarsky (pianists) – Saray-e Moshir\, 1972; Courtesy Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n7 Valleys: REWIND/REWILD\nInspired by the Seven Valleys of Attar of Nishapur’s “Conference of the Birds\,” a renowned Persian literary masterpiece\, and the conservation concept of “Rewilding\,” this collaborative performance by Mina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew synthesizes a multi-sensory space that revolves around the semiotics of social interactions among multi-species.\n\n\n\nUSILOQUY\nUsiloquy Dance Designs creates traditional and contemporary cross-cultural works rooted in the technique of Indian classical dance style Bharatanatyam. Founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Shaily Dadiala\, Philadelphia-based Usiloquy applies Bharatanatyam embracing new modalities of an ancient arts form.\nDancers: Aney Abraham\, Ankita Reddy\, Asavari Scarff\, Meghna Gummadi\, Shaily Dadiala.\n\n\n\nJupiter Blue\nFrom the Sun Ra Arkestra’s engine room\, Jupiter Blue’s tone scientists DM Hotep and Jupiter Girl (Tara Middleton) emerge to reveal elements and precepts of another kind of language\, another tomorrow. Their collaboration is interstellar and unique\, granting passage through spacious\, jazz textured sonorties informed by Ra’s ever necessary mission of saving the world.\n\n\n\nGamelan Gita Santi x Modero & Company\nGamelan Gita Santi is a community-based music ensemble and class led by Gapura\, the Indonesian community non-profit. The group offers free weekly classes for the Indonesian community in South Philadelphia\, catering to individuals aged 6 years and older. Tom Whitman of Swarthmore College leads the group\, which also collaborates with Modero & Company\, a dance company founded by Sinta Penyami Storms. Gita Santi hosts spring and fall concerts for the public and performs at the annual Indonesian Festival\, The Island Country.\n\n\n\nAlize Francheska Rozsnyai\nAlize Francheska Rozsnyai coloratura soprano and graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music “displaying profound imagination and control” (Philadelphia Inquirer)\, building a diverse and exciting performance career as a classical soprano with a “superb voice” (Harrogate News) which is “sparkling” (ArtBlog)\, all while serving up “deliciously diva performances” (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN). This season she appears with St. Petersburg Opera as an Emerging Artist and cover for Morgana in Handel’s Alcina\, is part of the development as Five Ways to Die with Experiments in Opera NYC\, and makes her role debut as Frasquita in Carmen with Boheme Opera NJ. Ms. Rozsnyai has performed with Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro\, Den Nye Opera in Bergen\, Norway\, Opera Philadelphia\, San Diego Opera\, Chautauqua Opera\, Seattle Symphony [Untitled 3] Series\, Carnegie Hall\, The Kennedy Center\, Opera Fayetteville\, Center for Contemporary Opera\, The Cape Cod Symphony\, and favorite role credits include Adina (l’elisir d’amore)\, Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare)\, Hilda (Elegy for Young Lovers-Henze)\, and Ilia (Idomeneo).\n\n\n\nUniversal Rhythm\nUniversal Rhythm is the catchall title for the always-in-flux musical expression of brothers in percussion\, Shakoor Hakeem and Pete Angevine.\nFearless percussionist Shakoor Hakeem\, a prolific up-and-coming talent\, has a gift for making experimental\, Afro-diasporan\, rhythmic improvisational music immediately enjoyable. Hakeem’s unique old soul has him adhering to the cultural traditions of mysticism and folklore\, within which are contained the secrets of his elders. The mythical experience of his stage presence evokes feelings that you are witness to a ceremonial gathering\, of an ancient rhythmic history. In building this\, he has long supported many of the most forward-thinking legendary improvisers\, including Graham Haynes\, Immanual Wilkins\, Joel Ross\, Adam Rudolph\, Bobby Zankel and Wallace Roney. Performing live with these great artists\, he refrains from overplaying and prefers minimalism\, playing with the musical and compositional contexts of colors and texture\, delivering limited solos\, all while occupying the eye of the hurricane.Pete Angevine works independently as a creative producer with a constellation of individuals and organizations in fields such as life sciences\, farmer cooperatives\, public art\, and experimental music.He has helped to develop and create many creative projects including musical albums\, experimental theater\, Ice Cream dreams\, public history themed augmented reality apps\, art exhibitions\, a Wide Range of Popular and Avant Garde Musics\, free food for the people\, murals\, watershed science infused walking tours\, two beloved children\, interactive sound sculptures\, historically interpretive artist-designed miniature golf holes\, psychedelic ceremonies\, gongs\, and more.\n\n\n\nToshi Makihara\nToshi Makihara’s performance utilizes traditional percussion with a variety of discovered sound media\, everyday objects and toys. Through a rigorous\, systematic\, and practiced process of experimentation\, Makihara seeks out sounds that have never been heard before\, experimenting with touch\, force\, and speed\, and always remaining aware of sound’s relationship to the body. Makihara studied drums and percussion with Sabu Toyozumi\, a renowned improvising percussionist in Tokyo. He has also studied butoh with dance master Kazuo Ohno and others.\n\n\n\nURIOL우리얼\nFounded in 2018\, URIOL(우리얼) is a traditional Korean percussion ensemble based in Philadelphia. URIOL began as a Samulnori group and continues to explore and create new music for traditional percussion instruments. Hyunjin Cha\, artistic director of URIOL\, has been a performer and director of programming & operations for Dulsori\, a world-renowned Korean world music ensemble that has appeared in over 54 countries and prestigious festivals such as WOMAD\, Edinburgh Fringe Festival\, and Roskilde Rock Festival. URIOL’s music is for anyone and everyone\, based on the traditional Korean performance of ‘Pungmul’\, ‘Minyo’\, and ‘Chukjae’. During the performance\, we play and dance to wish for our happiness and hopes to be fulfilled. As you become one with the performers\, enjoying and applauding\, you will feel a magical sensation.\n\n\n\nPeter Crimmins\nPeter Crimmins has been reporting on arts and culture for WHYY News since 2010\, reporting stories on a wide variety of cultural topics\, from artist profiles to community initiatives to philanthropic funding trends. He started his career in the San Francisco Bay Area\, cutting his teeth at community station KALX and producing syndicated radio programming for Ben Manilla Productions. He lives in Fishtown with his wife and dogs.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative and Fire Museum Presents
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/shiraz-panorama-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-A-Utopian-Stage-PANORAMA-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240329T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240329T220000
DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240108T164524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240517T202451Z
UID:10001216-1711742400-1711749600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Contemporary Persian Poetry and Music
DESCRIPTION:Composer/performers Mahya Hamedi and Sepehr Pirasteh unite their talents with the Shiraz Ensemble and the Arcana New Music Ensemble to craft an enchanting evening celebrating Contemporary Persian Poetry and Music. With poems curated by Fatemeh Shams\, the event will immerse audiences in the depth of Iran’s poetic legacy while capturing the spirit of the contemporary moment. \nHarking back to the inception of the Shiraz Arts Festival in 1967\, the platform played a pivotal role in showcasing Iran’s vibrant community of poets and musicians. A recital of “Contemporary Persian Poetry\,” the inaugural year paid homage to literary giants Hafez and Sa’di and living poets took the stage to recite their own verses.  The venerable Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar\, Iran’s eldest living poet\, debuted a new poem in honor of the Festival. The poetic event took place at Hafeziyeh\, the final resting place of the esteemed Persian poet Hafez. \nParallel to the poets’ engagement with both historical and contemporary themes\, composers at the Shiraz Arts Festival drew inspiration from a fusion of past and present elements. Noteworthy figures from the Euro-American avant garde\, such as Karlheinz Stockhausen\, Iannis Xenakis\, Olivier Messiaen\, Bruno Maderna\, John Cage\, David Tudor\, and Morton Feldman\, were featured at the festival.  Proposals for a significant arts center\, encompassing electronic music and recording studios\, were planned but were thwarted by the onset of the Revolution. Nevertheless\, the festival left an indelible mark on Iran’s contemporary and experimental music scene\, shaping its trajectory in enduring ways. \n\nPROGRAM \nFarzia Fallah (b. 1980): Posht-e Hichestan for solo flute \nAida Shirazi (b. 1987): ephemera for clarinet and percussion \nAnahita Abbasi (b. 1985): Situation IV/Io E iO for solo violin \nArcana New Music Ensemble\nNicholas Handahl\, flute\nJonathan Leeds\, clarinet\nAndy Thierauf\, percussion\nCarlos Santiago – violin \n~ INTERMISSION ~ \nMahya Hamedi\nShiraz Ensemble\nNooshin Nowrouzi\, kamancheh\nSepehr Pirasteh\, alto kamancheh\nSina Homaee\, santoor \nperforming new works based on poetry selections by Fatemeh Shams. \n  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Shahr-e Qesseh (City of Tales)\, Bijan Mofid (playwright & director); from left: Soheil Souzani\, Mehdi Ali Beigi\, Jamileh.Nedai\, Mahmood Ostad Mohamad\, Rashid Kanaani\, commissioned by the Festival\, University Hall\, 1968. Courtesy of Dariush Hajir / Afshin Mofid / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nMahya Hamedi (born 1999) is an Iranian vocalist\, pianist\, and composer from Tehran. Singing and playing the piano since the age of nine\, Mahya realized quickly that music was her lifelong passion. Her early compositions for theatre won local and national awards\, and she has performed in groups across Iran and in Greece before university. Unable to pursue studies in vocal performance in her home country due to a national ban on women singing\, she studied classical piano at the University of Tehran for two years before traveling to Berklee to focus on voice and composition. Mahya’s recorded works are highly syncretic\, fusing Iranian folk music with contemporary jazz pop\, and classical music showcasing her powerful and versatile voice. \nSepehr Pirasteh is a composer and conductor born in Shiraz\, Iran. His compositions draw on Persian classical and folk as well as contemporary classical music vocabularies to express his concerns and fears about the political and social realities of the world we are living in. Sepehr’s works have been performed by ensembles such as Argus String Quartet\, PRISM saxophone quartet\, Pushback Ensemble\, Unheard-of Ensemble\, Orquestra Criança Cidadã\, Hole in the Floor\, fivebyfive\, and members of the Fifth House Ensemble. He has been commissioned by Susan Horvath Chamber Music\, ENA chamber opera ensemble\, Philadelphia Student Composers Project\, Detroit Composers’ Project\, YInMn project\, Pushback Collective\, Fresh Inc. Festival\, Yara Ensemble\, Central Michigan University’s (CMU) Percussion Ensemble\, and the CMU Saxophone Ensemble. His music has been performed in Argentina\, Brazil\, Iran and the United States. Sepehr has also been a fellow in festivals and residencies such as Harvard University’s Fromm Foundation Fellowship (Composers Conference)\, CCI Initiative\, and Fresh Inc Festival. \nDr. Fatemeh Shams is a Persian poet\, literary scholar\, and translator. She currently teaches Persianate literature and history at the University of Pennsylvania and is a core faculty member of the Gender\, Sexuality\, and Women’s Studies Program. Her work focuses on the intersection of literature\, politics\, and society. Fatemeh is interested in the evolution of poetry and patronage in the Persian literary tradition and the representation and transformation of this relationship in modern Iran. She previously taught poetry at Oxford and SOAS Universities in the UK. She has published three award-winning poetry collections in Persian and English. In her academic research\, she concentrates on the intersection of poetry and politics in past and present Iran. Her book\, Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-Option Under Islamic Republic (Oxford University Press)\, explores the role of poetry and poetics in the political ideology of the Islamic Republic. \nShiraz Ensemble embodies a global perspective\, combining their roles as citizens of the world and passionate artists to shed light on crucial socio-political matters through art. Drawing inspiration from their personal journeys as immigrants from Iran to the United States\, they channel their experiences into a transformative musical narrative. Blending contemporary classical music with the rich traditions of Iran\, Shiraz Ensemble aims to engage audiences and promote cultural understanding by fusing different musical aesthetics. Founded in Philadelphia\, Shiraz Ensemble takes its name from the ancient city of Shiraz in Iran\, a place of birth and upbringing for both its founders\, Sina Homaee (santoor and tombak) and Sepehr Pirasteh. \nFounded in 2016\, the Arcana New Music Ensemble is a group of Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional music in interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional places. Built on a flexible roster of 25 musicians\, Arcana is able to perform a broad range of repertoire in numerous configurations. Composers featured in recent programs include Julius Eastman\, Morton Feldman\, Galina Ustvolskaya\, Pauline Oliveros\, Tom Johnson\, Moondog\, and James Tenney. Arcana has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art\, Fleisher Art Memorial\, The Rotunda\, The Kitchen (NYC)\, and collaborated with Variant Six\, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra\, and Pig Iron Theater Company. \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative\, Fire Museum Presents and Philly Iranians
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/contemporary-persian-poetry-and-music-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/A-Utopian-Stage-Shahr-e-Qesseh-City-of-Tales.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240316T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240316T210000
DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240221T214810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240821T153546Z
UID:10001226-1710613800-1710622800@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Xenakis: Persepolis - REDUX
DESCRIPTION:ENCORE PRESENTATION \nIn 1971\, the Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) was commissioned to create a piece for the opening day of the fifth edition of the Shiraz Arts Festival. The event commemorated the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire and took place at the ruins of Persepolis\, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (~550 – 330 BCE)\, situated about 45 miles northeast of the modern city of Shiraz. Xenakis created a site-specific\, open-air spectacle called “Polytope de Persepolis”. The original performance included a 55-minute long 8-track electroacoustic composition distributed over 59 speakers\, two laser beams\, army searchlights\, a choreography of 150 children carrying torches and several large bonfires on the surrounding hills facing the ruins. \nFor this event we have collaborated with the LA-based listening non-profit BLACK HOLE to present a special new rendering of “Persepolis”. This event\, under the sound direction of Micah Silver\, offers a rare chance to hear Xenakis’ original source audio material in a multi-speaker arrangement specifically devised for the Asian Arts Initiative Theater. \n\nLISTENING SESSIONS \nApproximate 60 min run time. Limited space available. Advanced tickets required. \nSaturday\, March 16th @ 6:30 pm: Buy Tickets\nSaturday\, March 16th @ 8:00 pm: Buy Tickets  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Iannis Xenakis in preparations for the premiere of “Persepolis” music and light spectacle\, at the ancient ruins of Persepolis\, 1971. (World Premiere\, festival commission for the opening event); Courtesy Les Amis de Xenakis / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives \n\nA NOTE ABOUT THIS PROJECT \nAs is true with much of Xenakis’ “Polytopes”\, this ritualistic\, site-dependant and intersensory performance fully resists documentation\, substantive “re-presentation” or interpretation. In spite of this\, and with almost nobody alive having experienced it directly\, it remains an influential work of art\, more legend than anything else. \nThis is not unique to this work or Xenakis\, but is a common problem with audio works that can’t be distributed easily as stereo media products by the record industry since the 1950s. For pieces like this\, how can we extend the research invested in these practices into the present without confusing them with more familiar tropes? How can we share the insights into music\, listening\, and composing with those looking to account for and build on this history? \nIn the case of “Persepolis”\, much can be learned from listening with and imagining through the fragmented partiality carried by the audio components of the work\, even absent the torchbearers\, lasers\, and tens of loudspeakers in an ancient ruin. This is especially true in the context of this exhibition\, where visitors are given tools to imagine its context of creation. \nBLACK HOLE takes as its point of departure that “listeners are the performers” – to emphasize that audio is not a carrier for a real or an original but a vehicle for our own projections and imagination\, to reflect on the way our attention is structured in time and space by this technology. Audio is a technology of representation not recreation. \nIn presenting a new rendering of audio from the work “Persepolis” we invite the audience to imagine the expanded possibilities of what audio can do – how it can alter a landscape and engage in the feelings and tactics of history\, myth\, and the pressures of the present. \n  \n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/xenakis-persepolis-redux-a-utopian-sage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-A-Utopian-Stage-XENAKIS-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T180000
DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240214T022647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T143005Z
UID:10001223-1709992800-1710007200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:A Utopian Stage Film Marathon
DESCRIPTION:Beginning in its inaugural year in 1967\, the Shiraz Arts Festival treated audiences to daily film screenings\, drawing enthusiastic crowds\, particularly among the younger demographic. Initially held at the Paramount and Capri cinemas\, the festival later found its home at the Ariana Theatre\, a state-of-the-art venue owned and operated by filmmaker Shahrokh Golestan\, a native of Shiraz. The festival’s diverse lineup encompassed both classic and contemporary works\, ranging from retrospectives of esteemed directors like Brook\, Bergman\, Buñuel\, and Satyajit Ray to screenings of cutting-edge films by emerging Iranian talents and international auteurs. \nOne of the festival’s defining features was its thematic programming\, which showcased a wide array of genres and topics. In 1970\, for example\, the festival delved into the theme of ‘theatre and ritual\,’ presenting unfiltered glimpses of African rituals through the lens of French filmmaker Jean Rouch. Similarly\, thematic showcases such as the 1975 presentation of musicals from Hollywood’s Golden Age and the 1977 exploration of Japanese cinema’s historical significance enriched the festival’s offerings and expanded its cultural impact. \nOf particular note in the festival’s history was the premiere of Sergei Parajanov’s masterwork\, “The Color of Pomegranates\,” which took place amid significant anticipation and defiance of Soviet censorship. This groundbreaking film\, along with other daring and thought-provoking selections like “Grass” and “Heir to Genghis Khan\,” solidified the Shiraz Arts Festival’s reputation for showcasing groundbreaking cinema from around the world. Through its bold programming choices and pioneering spirit\, the festival played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Iranian cinema and leaving a lasting mark on the global film landscape. \nThis program features three films shown back to back. Opening the afternoon is William Greaves’ “The First World Festival of Black Arts”\, a documentary film that celebrates a Shiraz-like festival that took place in the Senegalese capital of Dakar in 1966. Next shown will be a film shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival: Sergei Parajanov’s “The Color of Pomegranates”\, a visually stunning exploration of the life and work of the Armenia poet Sayat-Nova. And closing the afternoon will be another film shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival – “Dayereh-ye Mina”\, a film by Dariush Mehrjui\, an Iranian filmmaker who was assassinated in October 2023. \n\n  \nPROGRAM \n2:00pm: The First World Festival Of Negro Arts (Dir. William Greaves\, American\, 1966\, 40min)\n2:45pm: The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Parajanov\, 1969\, Armenian\, Georgian\, 78 min)\n4:00pm: Dayereh-ye Mina / The Mina Cycle (Dariush Mehrjui\, 1975\, Iran\, 101 min) \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \n\nABOUT THE FILMS \nThe First World Festival of Negro Arts (1968) 40 minutes  \nWriter/Director: William Greaves\nProducer: Motion Picture and Television Service of the United States Information Agency\nCinematographer: Georges Bracher\, William Greaves\nCourtesy William Greaves Productions  \nWilliam Greaves (1926 – 2014) was a Harlem-born American documentary filmmaker\, writer\, producer and a pioneer of African American filmmaking. His film The First World Festival of Negro Arts is a Black history treasure and documents the landscape of the seminal performance festival held in Dakar\, Senegal\, in 1966\, one year prior to the inauguration of Shiraz-Persepolis. The festivals at Dakar and Shiraz-Persepolis shared a similar decolonising ethos. The film was officially commissioned to document the events that attracted over two thousand writers\, artists and performers from Africa and the African diaspora\, including: Duke Ellington\, Langston Hughes\, Alvin Ailey\, Aime Cesaire\, Leopold Senghor and other artists\, performers and dignitaries from thirty countries.  \nGreaves began his career as a Broadway actor and a member of The Actor’s Studio. He later served as executive producer and co-host of the Black Journal television programme for which he was awarded an Emmy in 1970. His recent film\, Ralph Bunche:  An American Odyssey (2001)\, documents the life and historic achievements of Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche (1903-1971) the legendary African American Nobel prize-winning\, scholar turned statesman who contributed to international diplomacy\, decolonization\, peacekeeping\, and human rights in pre-civil rights America. His film From these Roots (1974) provides an in-depth study of the Harlem Renaissance. \n  \n\nThe Color of Pomegranates (1969) 78 minutes \nWriter/Director: Sergei Paradjanov\nEditors: Sergei Parajanov\, M. Ponomarenko\, S. Yutkevich\nCinematographer: Suren Shakhbazyan\nCourtesy Parajanov-Vartanov Institute. \nSergei Paradjanov (1924 – 1990)was a Soviet film director of Armenian descent who made a substantial contribution to Soviet cinematography through Ukrainian\, Armenian and Georgian cinema. He pioneered his own cinematic style by stepping outside socialist realism\, which was the only sanctioned art style within the USSR. His filmmaking and controversial lifestyle meant he was persecuted with his films regularly banned by Soviet authorities between 1965 and 1973.  \nThe Color of Pomegranates is based\, in part\, on the life and poetry of the eighteenth-century Armenian poet\, Sayat Nova (‘The King of Song’). Sergei Parajanov writes\, directs\, edits\, choreographs\, designs and creates every aspect of the film. It remains a masterpiece of cinema on account of being devoid of dialogue or camera movement and for its alluring imagery. The film was not seen internationally until 1977 due to Soviet censorship. It was screened at the Festival of Arts\, Shiraz-Persepolis in 1976 and subsequently smuggled to Paris where it was received to great acclaim. \n  \n\n  \n\nDayereh-ye Mina / The Cycle (1975) 101 minutes \nWriter/Director: Dariush Mehrjui \nDariush Mehrjui (1939 – 2023) was an Iranian filmmaker and a member of the Iranian Academy of the Arts. Mehrjui was a founding member of the Iranian New Wave movement of the early 1970s\, which also included directors Masoud Kimiai and Nasser Taqvai. His second film\, The Cow (1969)\, is considered to be the first film of this movement. Most of his films are inspired by literature and adapted from Iranian and foreign novels and plays. \nDayereh-ye Mina / The Cycle\, a harrowing tale of poverty and drug addiction in the slums in which people desperately sell their blood to survive\, is based on Gholam-Hossein Sa’dei’s short story “Garbage Dump.” Banned due to objections from the Iranian Medical Association\, The Cycle was shelved for three years before it was eventually shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival. The left saw the story of the poor selling contaminated blood for injection into new veins as a metaphor for the corruption of Pahlavis. For Mehrjui\, however\, this was more a candid investigation of a real problem\, and it eventually helped inspire the formation of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. The casting of the popular filmfarsi star Forouzan was controversial\, but her fine performance proved the versatility of Iranian actors. \n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/a-utopian-stage-film-marathon/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Bowerbird-Main-Img-11.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240308T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240308T210000
DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240214T022830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240309T183326Z
UID:10001225-1709920800-1709931600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Moniro Ravanipour and Fatemeh Shams
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird and Philly Iranians\, a volunteer-led\, non-partisan\, multi-faith coalition of Iranians and allies in the greater Philadelphia area advocating for a free Iran\, are pleased to co-present an evening with Moniro Ravanipour and Fatemeh Shams in celebration of International Women’s Day. Join us for an event where Ravanipour and Shams\, two esteemed Iranian authors\, will share excerpts from their work and engage in discussions about the profound role of literature in offering unique perspectives on resilience and compassion through the lens of the Iranian identity\, especially amidst today’s challenging social landscape. This event aims to create a space that fosters unity and empathy while reflecting on the uncertainties facing the Iranian people. \n Please note the early start time. All proceeds from this event support Philly Iranians and their work. \n\nThis event is happening on the occasion of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition about the Shiraz Arts Festival on view at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERS \nMoniro Ravanipour is an Iranian American internationally acclaimed\, innovative writer\, activist\, and poet currently living in Nevada. Ravanipour was among seventeen activists to face trial in Iran for their participation in the 2000 Berlin Conference\, where she was accused of taking part in “anti-Iran propaganda”. Copies of her current work have in fact been stripped from bookstores in Iran. Ravanipour is the author of many novels\, short stories and memoirs such as The Drowned\, Heart of Steel\, Gypsy by Fire\, These Crazy Nights\, and An Angel on Earth\, to name a few. With much of her writing fueled by her Iranian identity and imaginative mind\, her work ranges from children’s stories\, short stories\, novels\, and screenplays. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies\, including the PEN International Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature. With several of her works translated into multiple languages\, Ravanipour’s bestselling short fiction collections include Kanizu and Satan’s Stones. \nFatemeh Shams is a poet\, intersectional feminist activist\, and associate professor of Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning poet\, her work engages the fundamental struggles of her era: tyranny\, sexual violence\, bodily autonomy\, alienation\, forced displacement\, and loss of the mother tongue. Writing in a wide range of forms from classic styles to prose poetry\, Shams constantly moves beyond rigid boundaries of form and language to write about hunting memories of childhood and coming of age in her hometown and the experience of living in exile and her struggle for gender justice. Her literary honors and awards include Jaleh Esfahani Poetry Award in 2013\, Latifeh Yarshater Prize in 2016\, Poetry International Chapbook Prize in 2023 among others.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/moniro-ravanipour-and-fatemeh-shams/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Bowerbird-Main-Img-16.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T200000
DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240108T170958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240821T153554Z
UID:10001218-1707589800-1707595200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Xenakis: Persepolis
DESCRIPTION:In 1971\, the Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) was commissioned to create a piece for the opening day of the fifth edition of the Shiraz Arts Festival. The event commemorated the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire and took place at the ruins of Persepolis\, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (~550 – 330 BCE)\, situated about 45 miles northeast of the modern city of Shiraz. Xenakis created a site-specific\, open-air spectacle called “Polytope de Persepolis”. The original performance included a 55-minute long 8-track electroacoustic composition distributed over 59 speakers\, two laser beams\, army searchlights\, a choreography of 150 children carrying torches and several large bonfires on the surrounding hills facing the ruins. \nFor this event we have collaborated with the LA-based listening non-profit BLACK HOLE to present a special new rendering of “Persepolis”. This event\, under the sound direction of Micah Silver\, offers a rare chance to hear Xenakis’ original source audio material in a multi-speaker arrangement specifically devised for the Asian Arts Initiative Theater. \n\nLISTENING SESSIONS \nApproximate 60 min run time. Limited space available. Advanced tickets required. \nSaturday\, February 10th @ 6:30 pm: Buy Tickets\nSaturday\, February 10th @ 8:00 pm: Buy Tickets  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Iannis Xenakis in preparations for the premiere of “Persepolis” music and light spectacle\, at the ancient ruins of Persepolis\, 1971. (World Premiere\, festival commission for the opening event); Courtesy Les Amis de Xenakis / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives \n\nA NOTE ABOUT THIS PROJECT \nAs is true with much of Xenakis’ “Polytopes”\, this ritualistic\, site-dependant and intersensory performance fully resists documentation\, substantive “re-presentation” or interpretation. In spite of this\, and with almost nobody alive having experienced it directly\, it remains an influential work of art\, more legend than anything else. \nThis is not unique to this work or Xenakis\, but is a common problem with audio works that can’t be distributed easily as stereo media products by the record industry since the 1950s. For pieces like this\, how can we extend the research invested in these practices into the present without confusing them with more familiar tropes? How can we share the insights into music\, listening\, and composing with those looking to account for and build on this history? \nIn the case of “Persepolis”\, much can be learned from listening with and imagining through the fragmented partiality carried by the audio components of the work\, even absent the torchbearers\, lasers\, and tens of loudspeakers in an ancient ruin. This is especially true in the context of this exhibition\, where visitors are given tools to imagine its context of creation. \nBLACK HOLE takes as its point of departure that “listeners are the performers” – to emphasize that audio is not a carrier for a real or an original but a vehicle for our own projections and imagination\, to reflect on the way our attention is structured in time and space by this technology. Audio is a technology of representation not recreation. \nIn presenting a new rendering of audio from the work “Persepolis” we invite the audience to imagine the expanded possibilities of what audio can do – how it can alter a landscape and engage in the feelings and tactics of history\, myth\, and the pressures of the present. \n  \n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/xenakis-persepolis-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-A-Utopian-Stage-XENAKIS-1.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240209T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240209T220000
DTSTAMP:20260504T043233
CREATED:20240108T162934Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240326T005249Z
UID:10001215-1707508800-1707516000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Traditional Music from Korea and Iran
DESCRIPTION:Inspired by the Shiraz Arts Festiva’s curatorial vision\, “Traditional Music from Korea and Iran” brings togethers two duos: Jung-Hee Oh\, a Korean music artist of “Gayageum Byeong-chang” (Solo zither performance with song) with Song Eun Shin\, who performs the 25 String Gayageum; and Mehrnam Rastegari\, a Persian master of the Kamancheh (an Iranian bowed string instrument\, with Jalal Kimia\, who performs the Iranian percussion instruments Daf and Tombak.   Iranian traditional music held a central role in the Shiraz Arts Festival’s programming. Prior to the festival\, large\, high-profile\, live performances of Iranian traditional music were rare – with performances primarily confined to private homes and small gatherings.   The inaugural 1967 festival showcased Iranian master musicians in multiple concerts at the picturesque Hafezieh (a memorial garden in Shiraz\, Iran\, housing the tomb of Hafez\, a 14th-century Persian poet).  By the following year\, Iranian music was also being featured alongside music from other cultures.  Programs such as “Traditional Music from India & Iran” or “Traditional Music from Morocco & Iran” invited audiences to hear connections and interplay between musical styles and instrumentations in ways that are still rare today. \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPlease join us for the opening reception of “A Utopian Stage” before this concert (February 9th at 6pm). \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nMs. Jung-Hee Oh is a Korean traditional music artist in ‘Gayageum Byeong-chang’ (singing with self-accompaniment of the Gayageum instrument) and ‘Pansori’ (a traditional story-telling performed by a solo vocalist). Ms. Oh is recognized as a Korean government cultural ministry’s intangible cultural property No. 23 in Gayageum with song and ‘Sanjo.’ She had performances in numerous significant musical events and was featured as the main guest in many Korean Cultural events in prominent institutions. She received her master’s degree in Korean music from Chung-Ang University in Seoul Korea. She currently serves as the music director of the music band G-Hwaja and performing artist based in NY & NJ metropolitan area. \nSong Eun Shin has established her reputation for her outstanding performance and detailed expressions of the unique musical language. In addition\, she has been a pioneer in spreading across the world the sound of Gayageum\, traditional Korean string instrument. She started to play Gayageum when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Korean National Traditional Arts High School and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Chung-Ang University with top honors. She won Seoul Gayageum Competition and has continued to advance her career through great concerts and performances\, including Shanghai Expo\, the G20 Summit\, and Hong Kong national holiday events. \nMehrnam Rastegari is a well-established Iranian music and film score composer\, singer\, violinist\, and master Kamancheh player. She has performed in concerts in more than ten countries\, including the United States\, Germany\, Switzerland\, France\, Finland\, Iran\, and Kazakhstan\, and music festivals such as the WOMEX World Music Expo\, Tampere\, Finland\, and the Fajr International Music Festival\, Tehran\, Iran. Mehrnam’s main instrument is the Kamancheh\, for which she has been recognized by some of the best Kamancheh performers and instructors globally\, who certified her as a master Kamancheh player. She was a guest speaker at the TEDx event Oasis: Existence in Nothingness. Additionally\, she composed the score for multiple award-winning films\, including Dispirited\, for which she won the Best Original Score Award at the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards (MCIFA)\, A Poetess\, presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2022\, and the Rotten\, nominated for the original score in Japan Kadoma Festival. \nJalal Kimia\, a talented Persian Percussionist\, was born and raised in Iran. He embarked on his musical journey by learning the famous Iranian frame drum\, Daf\, at an early age\, guided by Meysam Afshin and Behzad Mahjoobi. Later\, he felt compelled to learn the other main Persian percussion instrument\, Tombak\, and continued his training under Master Dariush Eshaghi and later continued his training with Master Pejman Hadadi\, further developing his skills as a percussionist. \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative\, Fire Museum Presents and Philly Iranians
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/traditional-music-from-korea-and-iran-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-A-Utopian-Stage-TRADITIONAL-1.jpg
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