With the goal of reflecting the diversity of Bushwick, where 61 percent of its residents identify as Hispanic/Latinx, region(es): SUD will showcase Latinx contemporary performing arts. Region(es) artistic director Juan Pablo Siles Mendoza created the series as a way for individuals who identify as Latinx to connect with the broader Latinx community.
The title of the series can be interpreted multiple ways. By placing parentheses around “es,” region(es) can be read in English and in Spanish. All the letters are lowercase to show that the series is starting out small with the intention of growing larger. “[The title] stems out of this idea of regions in Latin America and wanting to explore them bit by bit,” says Siles Mendoza, who is from La Paz, Bolivia.
For its first installment, region(es) will feature artists ranging in age from 30 to 70, who claim roots in South America. Mostly focusing on the complex dynamic between the U.S. and Latin America, the contemporary performances will include theater, music, film, and dance. The series will be held in parks and bars throughout Bushwick, with some events offering participation from the community, like dance parties.
“I really want this to be the start of something bigger, a platform where new work can be developed and ideas can be explored,” says Siles Mendoza of region(es). He hopes the community will be inspired by the artists and exposed to more perspectives. Future installments of region(es) will focus on different regions in Latin America, exploring how ties to those areas have informed Latinx artists’ way of thinking and artistry.
Region(es) is funded by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and fiscally sponsored by the Brooklyn Arts Council. For more information, visit the region(es) website and Instagram. See below for a schedule of events.
Schedule:
STEFA
Date: August 3, 8:30 p.m.
Location: Starr Bar; 214 Starr St, Brooklyn
DJ Alberto Lugo
Date: August 3 at 10 p.m. & August 4 at 12 a.m.
Location: Starr Bar; 214 Starr St, Brooklyn
TaypiMami//footnotes to myself
Date: August 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Starr Bar; 214 Starr St, Brooklyn
Yoggaton
Date: August 6 at 11 a.m.
Location: Bushwick Market; 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn
Saya Afroboliviana
Date: August 6 at 2 p.m.
Location: Bushwick Market; 49 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn
Sylvia Palacios Whitman
3:30PM, Sat, Aug 3 & 2 PM, Thu, Aug 8
Maria Hernández Park
Irving Ave., Kinickerbocker Ave. bet. Starr St. and Suydam St, Brooklyn
RED
Date: 5 PM, Sat, Aug 3
Location: Maria Hernández Park
Irving Ave., Kinickerbocker Ave. bet. Starr St. and Suydam St, Brooklyn
Muñe
Date: 8PM, Sat, Aug 3 & 7PM, Thu, Aug 8
Location: Starr Bar, 214 Starr St, Brooklyn
lopez / achugar
Date: August 7 at 6 p.m. and August 8 at 5 p.m.
Location: Maria Hernández Park; Irving Ave., Kinickerbocker Ave. bet. Starr St. and Suydam St, Brooklyn
Nicolas Noreña
Date: August 7 at 8 p.m.
Location: Maria Hernández Park; Irving Ave., Kinickerbocker Ave. bet. Starr St. and Suydam St, Brooklyn
Efraín Rozas & Muki Sabogal
Date: August 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Step Bone Cut; 229 Cook St, Brooklyn
DJ Mickey Perez
Date: August 8 at 10 p.m. & August 9 at 12 a.m.
Location: Starr Bar; 214 Starr St, Brooklyn
Cover photo of STEFA, courtesy of Stephanie Segura.
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