ACTING TOGETHER ON THE WORLD STAGE Documentary Viewing and Panel March 14th 7-9pm at Creative Arts Team Studios in NYC

“Acting Together on the World Stage” Documentary Viewing and Panel with Daniel Banks, Catherine Filloux, Kate Gardner, and Charles Mulekwa on Wednesday, March 14th, 7-9pm, Creative Arts Team Studios

101 W. 31st Street, 6th Floor

To reserve a spot, please e-mail Michael Wilson at Michael.Wilson@mail.cuny.edu.

The feature documentary “Acting Together on the World Stage” highlights courageous and creative artists and peacebuilders working in conflict zones. It features theatrical works and rituals that reach beneath people’s defenses in respectful ways that support communities to configure new patterns of meaning and relationships. Witness the plays that animated the US civil rights movement; watch ancient rituals enacted alongside Peru’s Reconciliation Commission; and experience the beat of African and Australian youth addressing conflict through call and response.

The documentary grows out of a six-year initiative of Theatre Without Borders, Brandeis University and filmmaker Allison Lund. Dynamic footage of performances, rituals and candid interviews with artists and peacebuilders place case studies in their socio-political and cultural contexts.  The documentary is designed for students, practitioners, educators, and policymakers in fields related to performance and to peace and conflict studies, and for others who believe – or who want to be convinced – that human communities have the creative capacities to transform conflict non-violently.

The "Acting Together" Project began in 2005 as a partnership between the Brandeis University and Theatre Without Borders. It involves scholars and practitioners working in fifteen conflict regions, collaborating on an anthology, a documentary, and a Web site, while building a learning community and strengthening networks. The project is led by principal investigator, Dr. Cynthia Cohen in the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts within the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life at Brandeis University.  The project is yielding rich case studies, theoretical frameworks, and recommendations to policymakers to legitimate and strengthen the emerging field of peacebuilding performance. It is already beginning to catalyze conversations and mobilize action to advance this important work.