Asian Arts Initiative

Conversation with author Sarah Aziza and book launch for "The Hollow Half." The evening will open with 2 poetry acts.La La Lil Jidar presents a community celebration of Sarah Aziza's debut memoir The Hollow Half (Catapult Books) followed by a post-reading conversation moderated by Camonghne Felix. Joining Aziza will be special guest readers Candice Iloh and Angbeen Saleem. Hosted by: Denice Frohman and Jess X. Snow. Books will be for sale and all proceeds will be donated to support Sarah Aziza’s family in Gaza.Fundraising for Sarah Aziza's family in Gaza: Our goal is to raise $5,000 to support Sarah's family

This special all day symposium coincides with the exhibition Crescendo: How Art Makes Movements (1981-1999), and will feature a diverse array of programming, such as artist presentations, panel discussions, performances, and community-driven projects that highlight the shared experiences and struggles of Black and Asian communities. Asian Arts Initiative was founded in the wake of the LA Uprisings to address afro-asian solidarity. The Crescendo Symposium will explore the evolution of Afro-Asian solidarity from historical movements like the Black Panther Party to contemporary grassroots efforts. Artists and activists will reflect on how solidarity has been built through the arts, and how these communities continue

OHYUNG, an alter ego and solo project of composer/ musician/artist Lia Ouyang Rusli, will present a performance featuring their new album You Are Always On My Mind. As a conversation between her trans self and her former self, the unstructured performance pushes boundaries, turning AAI's theater into a spectacle of excessive emotion that drives audiences to derangement. The performance's intense self-focus with full dopamine release offers transformative relaxation. The performance opens with two acts, Anne Ishii x Clint Takeda and Asphalt Savannahs. You are on your feet all throughout the night. You Are Always On My Mind came out March 28th co-released by Brooklyn’s NNA Tapes and the UK’s Phantom Limb.

Join us for a conversation between two bestselling authors Lisa Ko and Emma Eisenberg on Ko's recently published Memory Piece, a visionary novel of friendship, art, and ambition that asks: What is the value of a meaningful life? Lisa Ko is the author of the nationally bestselling novel The Leavers, which was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction and the PEN/Hemingway Award, and winner of the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Ko’s short fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and her essays and nonfiction have been published in The New York Times and The Believer. Emma Copley Eisenberg is the author of the

de>crescendo: Trusting Our Dynamic Selves Through Change is a trauma-informed workshop exploring music and embodied sound as tools for resourcing ourselves through change, facilitated by Mel Hsu, in partnership with Bartol Foundation. Vocal, percussive and movement exercises will be offered, but no musical experience is required. Bodies of all abilities are encouraged to register. Content most appropriate for ages 18+. Organizers will send out a “Know Before You Go Guide” one week before the workshop. A therapist from our community partner, Mango Tree Counseling, will be available on site as a resource during the workshop. *Registration is free with limited to

Accompanying Uses of the Ironic, the first solo exhibition of Rashid Zakat, will be a performance based off of the artist's popular Revival!, an audio-visual and now performance meditation celebrating the visual and sonic culture of shared Black spiritual experience Following the performance will be a conversation with curators Joyce Chung (Asian Arts Initiative) and Maori Karmael Holmes (Blackstar Projects). @AsianArtsPhilly @rashidzakat

Asian Arts Initiative's Artist Town Hall invites artists to come together to share their latest projects, make a pitch, and exchange resources. This iteration of the Town Hall invites BIPOC, Palestinian, and SWANA artists whose practice or current projects engage restorative justice and anti-oppression efforts. Artists that join the Town Hall will share their work alongside two invited presenters, including the Memory Workers’ Guild (MWG) and theater director Zaina Yasmin Dana. We hope to spark conversation and collaboration of artists and culture workers across anti-apartheid, abolition, and restorative justice movements. Tafari Diop (@tafaridiop) of Memory Workers’ Guild is a decentralized

Join us for a community screening and conversation with local organizers leading the fight for housing rights and climate justice!**EVENT FLOW**6 PM: Doors & Meet & Greet with community organizers7 PM: Film Screening: What Needs to Be Done: Six Stories of Built to Last (short film) and Razing Liberty Square (feature film)9:30 PM: Post-Screening Community Conversation facilitated by Gabe Castro (‘Reel Impact: From Streets to Screens’ columnist, cinéSPEAK journal and member programming manager at PhillyCAM) and featuring lead organizers from—Philly ThriveSave Chinatown CoalitionHERE 4 Climate Justice Coalition (Housing Equity, Repair, and Electrification for Climate Justice)Hunting Park Neighborhood Association—**TICKETING**Suggested donation of

Meet 1-on-1 with a Leeway staffer for in-person application support before the May 15th Stage 1 deadline.Meet 1-on-1 with a Leeway staffer to receive direct feedback on your Media Artist + Activist Residency (MAR) application before the June 24th deadline.Leeway staff will be available from 10am-3pm to meet with applicants on a first come, first serve basis. While advance registration is not required, we encourage you to RSVP so we have a sense of how many folks might join us.Snacks and light refreshments will be available.THERE WILL BE A SPANISH LANGUAGE INTERPRETER ON SITE.HABRÁ UN INTÉRPRETE DE ESPAÑOL DISPONIBLE.Can’t make

Housing Futures Month Philadelphia Activation celebrating bold and creative housing models and policies for Philadelphia's #HousingFuturesYou are invited to a Housing Futures Month Activation on April 19, 2023 at the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia to celebrate Housing Futures Month and the bold, creative housing models and policies that are shaping Philadelphia’s #HousingFutures! Housing as health, housing as community, housing as liberatory — that is the future we are working toward. More than 50 years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, we continue to build on the promises of this groundbreaking policy to dream, vision, explore,