Jerri Allyn

                                



Debating Through the Arts - Performance Event 3




Participating debaters: Juna Amano, Gerard St. Hubert, Arzu Arda Kosar, Marissa (Mercado) Magdelena, JoAnn Mitchell, Brian Moss, Juliana Ostrovsky, Christine Palma, Nisha Parek (aka Namorando Vida), Jean Karl Petion, Leah Solo Taylor, Marjan Vayghan.

Joined by several participants throughout the day.

18th Street Gallery and Event Producer: Ronald Lopez
Interns: Jessica Dawson and Camille Werstler
Photo Documentation: Jeseca Dawson (Exhibit and Debate), Slobodan Dimitrov and Inez Bush (Debate)
Artist-in-Residence, Jerri Allyn working with Inez Bush and collaborating Artists

Debating Through the Arts-Performance Art Event 3
18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA , July 30, 2011, 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Can you imagine artists on the world stage in the Model UN Program, participating as cultural workers in global affairs?

From Debate to Create: Through a structure of debate, caucus, collaboration, performance and voting that echoes United Nations proceedings, artists and audience come together to explore social issues. By developing creative referendums (art, music, theatre or dance), the goal is to provide a performative context for artists to demonstrate the importance of the arts in solving conflicts. (The Model United Nations Program simulates activities in the UN General Assembly through conferences at universities throughout the world.)

Debate 3 was an afternoon and evening event based on a Model UN paradigm. Artists chose topics and a team; developed arguments and debated their view to an audience; caucused with those outside of their team; then collaboratively developed and proposed new artistic “referendums” (in Model UN parlance). The event culminated with the assembled gathering voting on their favorite solutions, and a focused conversation to conclude the day, facilitated by Inez.

The audience was invited to come for the entire event or drop in throughout the day.Recommended times to attend: 1:00-3:00 Artist Debates or 7:00-9:00 Proposed Creative Referendum Performances.

Debate 3 included artists creatively debating pros and cons of Cultural Equity:

Can we ensure cultural equity for all people through the lens of….

…freedom of expression?

…multiculturalism in the 21st century?

…the democratization of creativity?

…sustainable development?

…health in our communities?

…accelerated change and exponential growth?

…language?

…immigration?

…utopia?