New Suns, Midwest Futures is a bi-weekly podcast series centering Midwestern performing artists (born or relocated) working loosely around themes of place, identity, and social justice. Launching from Octavia Butler’s quote “There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns,” this project aligns with sci-fi methodologies to collectively imagine new systems and spaces outside of cis-patriarchal white supremacist models and to build beautiful futures beyond "the end of the world.” We'll meet with artists from various locations to brainstorm what it means to be an artist in the Midwest, what folks need, what’s working, what’s not working, and how different locations and geographies shape those realities in specific ways. Most importantly we ask the questions 1) How can we help each other? and 2) What can art do right now? While not directly focused on COVID-19, the scope of this project integrates the current issues, concerns, and practicalities of moving through the multiple pandemics at hand while collectively dreaming up what happens next in a constantly shifting social-political-ecological landscape.
Charli Brissey + Marsae Mitchell
Marsae and Charli talk with Natalia about growing up in a border town, identity, place, and the magic of dreams
Scholar, artist, activist, and abolitionist LaVelle Ridley chats with Marsae and Charli about the role of imagination and "standing in the sun" of academia
Marsae and Charli kick off the new year and the new season with a little science, magic, and manifestation
Badass artist Olly Greer chats with Charli about navigating academia as an artist, queer trans joy as antidote for trauma, the beauty of farm fresh Craigslist eggs, and other dreamy things.
In this episode we chat w/ Detroit based percussionist Sowandé Keita about the Detroit drum and dance world, being Blacknificent, family legacies, Drake, and the incomparable fulfillment of community education.
In this episode Charli speaks with Silas about their work as an ornithologist-artist, the queerness of "nature" and what we can learn from/with birds about transitions.
El talks with us about growing up in small towns, dance and performance stuff, and being queer/non-binary in the Midwest.
In this episode we share work by Detroit media artist, emcee, music producer, and community cultural worker Sacramento Knoxx, who starts us off by speaking about creative ways to educate and support community.
We launch our first season with a visit from the one-and-only Alyssa Gregory who talks about the independent dance scene in Chicago, fighting white supremacy in performing arts communities, loving ballet as a Black dancer, and so much more
Charli and Marsae work out their podcast jitters in this pre-season episode by asking each other three secret questions. Get to know your hosts as they discuss why sci-fi is brilliant, identity in performance, and future dreams for dance and life.
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