Abolitionist Innovations: Participatory Art & Activism

Artist, activist and scholar, Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware, presents artistic intent around Antarctica and Ancestors, Can You Read Us? (Dispatches from the Future) as the capstone event of Participedia’s 2022 Partners Conference at McMaster University. Part of a larger series, the performance and video piece, respectively, illuminate contemporary points of crisis in society and democracy while offering insights for abolitionist world-building by non-carceral methods. First exhibited at the Toronto Biennale of Art in 2019, the piece is described as an “imagined time portal through which the next generation of racialized activists offers insights into a future radically altered by climate change.”

Supported by Participedia’s Teaching, Training and Mentoring Committee, along with student research assistants, Ware will facilitate a discussion exploring these important themes with attendees. We invite you to join the Participedia community as we continue to expand our understanding(s) of democratic innovations in times of crises.

Join us for an interactive evening of performance and reflection!

Register here.