MEDIATHEK

I LIKE TO RIDE MY BIKE AROUND THE CITY IN SUMMERTIME. The trees are a vibrant green, some with colorful blossoms, the air is crisp, and the German Berliners are a bit less angry than usual. Just a bit. When I ride my bike I approach events I would not have witnessed otherwise. Last summer, I was riding my bike home and I came across a protest. I observed the demographic of the participants in this march, they seemed to range from various ages, sexualities and genders. One thing they all had in common was whiteness. Then I noticed they were carrying a sign with a symbol on it. I am not entirely certain what the German political party symbols are, but my African and Jewish ancestral genes inform me that when you see a swarm of white people equipped with signs baring symbols moving in your direction, you run the other way.

Later on that day I did research and found out that the symbol I witnessed was for an environmental organization that mobilizes people to be more conscious of environmental issues.

Ah! that explains it. I had to ponder why white people showed up in the masses and shut down major streets to progress environmental policy, but the same number did not show up for black and brown trans lives.

Social media magnifies tragedy. Share culture desensitizes tragedy. The frequent shares of the undoing of policy set in place for the protection of lgbtqia rights versus the steadfast protection of animals and other living species is staggering. Intersectionally marginalized humans have been historically classified into species and neglected, but actual animals have been cared for, tended to, and preserved on reserves, parks, zoos, plantations.

Plantations.

Plantations.

How do we, as people of color who are marginalized implore those in positions of dominance to care and make space? How do we persuade those that are considered human that we are human too? And once we have done all this, will it even matter?

Adrian Marie Blount (Godxxx Noirphiles)

BOOKS TO READ TO UNDERSTAND THE PIECE:

• Black Quantum Futurism: space time collapse 1: The Congo to the Carolinas (Moor Mother and Rasheedah Phillips)
• Eating the Other (Bell Hooks)
• Why I am No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Reni Eddo-Lodge)
• Google: Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr Joy DeGruy

/ CREDITS /

PERFORMANCE: GodXXX Noirphiles (Adrian Marie Blount), Lola Rose (George Scott), Sophie Yukiko-Hasters, Lux Venerea, Ixa Red Pill (Kyle Mckay), Mandhla Ndubiwa, Isu Mignon Mignonne

DRAMATURGY, CONCEPT, CHOREOGRAPHY, COSTUMES: Adrian Blount

DRAMATURGICAL ASSISTANCE: Keith King

ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHY: George Scott, Sophie Yukiko-Hasters

PROJECTION, ANIMATION: Xixi Diana Yam Yam

SOUNDDESIGN: Ixa Red Pill (Kyle Mckay)

ASSITANCE SOUNDDESIGN: Mandhla Ndubiwa

A production by House of Living Colors in co-production with SOPHIENSÆLE.

/ HOUSE OF LIVING COLORS /

The drag collective House of Living Colors focuses on the climate crisis, showing that a diversity of identities is as essential for the survival of our society as is biodiversity for nature. Endangered Species draws on the knowledge and experience of queer and trans people of color and their ancestral and spiritual connection to nature. In a multimedia performance combining voguing, spoken word, live music and other, non-Western art forms, they make it clear: QTBIPoC are indispensable for the evolution of our world, our society, our community.

HOUSE OF LIVING COLORS is an open drag and performance collective particularly for queer and trans black and people of color (QTBIPoC) that was created after several experiences of exclusion from the mainstream queer community.

// GERMAN //

Das Drag-Kollektiv House of Living Colors stellt die Perspektiven von queeren und trans People of Color auf die Klimakrise ins Zentrum und zeigt, dass die Vielfalt von Identitäten für eine Gesellschaft genauso überlebensnotwendig ist wie Biodiversität für die Natur. Endangered Species schöpft aus dem Wissen und den Erfahrungen von QTBIPoC und der spirituellen Naturverbundenheit ihrer Urahnen. In einer multimedialen Performance aus Voguing, Spoken Word, Live-Musik und anderen, nicht-westlichen Kunstformen stellen sie klar: Sie sind unverzichtbar für die Evolution unserer Welt, unserer Gesellschaft, unseres Miteinanders. 

/ CREDITS /

PERFORMANCE: GodXXX Noirphiles (Adrian Marie Blount), Lola Rose (George Scott), Sophie Yukiko-Hasters, Lux Venerea, Ixa Red Pill (Kyle Mckay), Mandhla Ndubiwa, Isu Mignon Mignonne
DRAMATURGIE, KONZEPT, CHOREOGRAFIE, KOSTÜME: Adrian Blount
DRAMATURGISCHE ASSISTENZ: Keith King
ASSISTENZ CHOREOGRAFIE: George Scott, Sophie Yukiko-Hasters
PROJEKTION, ANIMATION: Xixi Diana Yam Yam
SOUNDDESIGN: Ixa Red Pill (Kyle Mckay)
ASSISTENZ SOUNDDESIGN: Mandhla Ndubiwa

Eine Produktion von House of Living Colors in Koproduktion mit SOPHIENSÆLE. 

/ TANZTAGE BERLIN 2020 /

KÜNSTLERISCHE LEITUNG: Anna Mülter
PRODUKTIONSLEITUNG: Johanna Withelm
PRODUKTIONSASSISTENZ: Ece Tufan, Mascha Wendel
DRAMATURGISCHE BEGLEITUNG: Alexandra Hennig, Isabel Gatzke
Die 29. Tanztage Berlin sind eine Produktion der SOPHIENSÆLE.
Gefördert von der Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa.
Mit freundlicher Unterstützung von Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore, mapping dance und Tanzfabrik Berlin e.V.

/ ENSAMBLE /

HOUSE OF LIVING COLORS ist ein offenes Drag- und Performance-Kollektiv für queere und trans People of Color (QTBIPoC), das sich aufgrund von Ausschlusserfahrungen in der queeren Mainstream-Community gegründet hat. 

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