FORGOTTEN PARADISE: DON'T FORGET ME
[live activation]
We—who are capable of remembrance—are capable of liberation. ― Mahmoud Darwish
DON'T FORGET ME is a live participatory activation honoring the presence of Pyrrhus Concer a self-emancipated man turned philanthropist and land owner in the Hamptons. It is a live activation of PASSAGE the third chapter in the ongoing, creative investigation called FORGOTTEN PARADISE which imagines the dreams of the forcibly displaced, and enslaved peoples across the European/American, trans-Atlantic slave trade. It connects spirits of ancestors with descendants across oceans and between times.
"In an ever-tightening web of mutuality, we sang together, chanted parts of Pyrrhus Concer’s story, rang bells, raised a large flag with the silhouette of Concer, and, eventually, broke (corn) bread and shared in delicious stew and collard greens together, ingesting the day for a full metabolizing of all that had been shared. Our material selves were altered through gifts for each sense and our souls had been nourished through moments of healing kinship. Each of us comes to learn how circles of interdependence can be a vital balm for the wounds of history. ...The participatory nature of the performance score allowed us to embody the lessons. This, in turn, revealed a pathway to sustainable futures. Yes, the only way out is through, but the only way through is together." by maura nguyễn donohue.
We—who are capable of remembrance—are capable of liberation. ― Mahmoud Darwish
DON'T FORGET ME is a live participatory activation honoring the presence of Pyrrhus Concer a self-emancipated man turned philanthropist and land owner in the Hamptons. It is a live activation of PASSAGE the third chapter in the ongoing, creative investigation called FORGOTTEN PARADISE which imagines the dreams of the forcibly displaced, and enslaved peoples across the European/American, trans-Atlantic slave trade. It connects spirits of ancestors with descendants across oceans and between times.
"In an ever-tightening web of mutuality, we sang together, chanted parts of Pyrrhus Concer’s story, rang bells, raised a large flag with the silhouette of Concer, and, eventually, broke (corn) bread and shared in delicious stew and collard greens together, ingesting the day for a full metabolizing of all that had been shared. Our material selves were altered through gifts for each sense and our souls had been nourished through moments of healing kinship. Each of us comes to learn how circles of interdependence can be a vital balm for the wounds of history. ...The participatory nature of the performance score allowed us to embody the lessons. This, in turn, revealed a pathway to sustainable futures. Yes, the only way out is through, but the only way through is together." by maura nguyễn donohue.
Created in Collaboration with:
Guild Hall William P. Rayner Artists-in-Residence:
Charlotte Brathwaite and Malick Welli
Collaborative Artists:
fabrication Gregory Corbino
composition Tareke Ortiz
music Hadi Eldebek, Mohamad Eldebek, Ramzi El-Edlibi
In partnership with Eastville Community Historical Society Director Georgette Grier-Key and Southampton African American Museum Founder Brenda Simmons and the Pyrrhus Concer Action Committee with the Guild Hall Teen Arts Council, and members of the Sag Harbor Community
