News/Research

Ra Malika Imhotep in the Performance of Labor

19 Feb, 2022

Ra Malika Imhotep in the Performance of Labor

Ra Malika Imhotep curated and co-hosted a Black feminist panel discussion on The Performance of Labor/ The Labor of Performance. Imhotep is a Black feminist writer + performance artist + cultural worker from Atlanta, Georgia. They are currently pursuing a PhD in African American Studies with a Designated Emphasis in New Media here at UC Berkeley. The panel was convened through UC Berkeley's Department of Afrcian American Studies.

From the event description:

Curated by Ra Malika Imhotep, The Performance of Labor/The Labor of Performance is a convening of Black feminist artists and cultural workers who will communally explore the question(s) of how the forms and methods of opera, surrealism, free jazz, poetry, & dance help us communicate the concerns of radical black feminism(s)? Calling in the Cal Performances production of Wayne Shorter + esperanza spaldings’ …(Iphigenia) alongside each of the artists’ own “works-in-progress,” the panel discussion featuring esperanza/irma on Feb 11th at 11am-12:30pm will explore : What happens when we gather together to create out loud, to sound it out in good company? How might improvised creative dialogue disrupt preconceived notions about the relationships between black femininity, labor and performance? How do we practice and witness a “black feminist politic in making”?

To watch the full discussion, click here!