performingborders | LIVE | Curating Borderless Spaces
After a series of pilot events across England and Nogales (US/Mexico border wall), the first performingborders | LIVE concludes with a day of performances, commissioned premieres, talks, food, and provocations at the Live Art Development Agency in London.
Curated by Alessandra Cianetti and Xavier de Sousa, and starting from the cue ‘Curating Borderless Spaces’, the day will focus on highlighting and platforming urgent voices and discourses within the Live Art sector on how we can work together in creating collaborative borderless, anti-racist, non-binary, feminist, non-ableist, post-colonial spaces.
Kicking off the day with a keynote by interdisciplinary artist, educator, and activist Raju Rage, the event will see the premiere of commissioned performances-to-camera by Istanbul Queer Arts Collective and Tara Fatehi Irani, along with new digital conversations on Live Art and borders by Burong and Critical Interruptions (Bojana Janković and Diana Damian Martin). Everyone is invited to participate in a communal live group conversation dotted by the interventions and provocations of guest artists Bojana Janković, Marikiscrycrycry, Dana Olărescu, Kai Syng Tan and Helena Walsh
Writer in Residence Season Butler will respond to the discussions and exchanges of the day through live writing and she will close the event with a performative response to the day’s proceedings.
Curating Borderless Spaces is part of Antiuniveristy 2019
A vegan lunch (with no nuts) will be offered to everyone including a selection of drinks.*
SCHEDULE:
12pm: Keynote by Raju Rage + Presentation of commissions by Istanbul Queer Art Collective & Tara Fatehi Irani followed by Q&A with performingborders | LIVE curators and the audience
1.45pm: Lunch (during this time and throughout the day, the commissioned works by Burong, Critical Interruptions, Tara Fatehi Irani, and Istanbul Queer Art Collective will be accessible to the public)
2.30: Live group conversation and provocations by Bojana Janković, Marikiscrycrycry, Dana Olărescu, Kai Syng Tan and Helena Walsh
4pm: Final performance by Season Butler
4.30pm: Drinks and social time
Please note that all tickets are free and access information is below.
ACCESS:
Everyone is welcome!
To make sure as many of you can join us on the day, BSL interpretation will be provided (Katie Fenwick, Audrey Simmons), a T-loop system will be in place for those hard of hearing, the space is wheelchair accessible, your animal friends are welcome, and we can provide childcare (Natalie Sowemimo) for up to 7 children aged 1+**
Please get in touch if you have access requirements and we will be happy to support.
*Ingredients will be written down however if you have allergies we strongly advise to bring your own lunch with you.
**If you require childcare please tell us by writing to [email protected] by the 7th of June so we make sure we can book it on time. Thank you!
performingborders | LIVE is a programme of events and new commissions focusing on the exploration of artistic practices happening within the UK live art sector around notions of cultural, juridical, racial, gendered, class, physical and everyday borders. Curated by Alessandra Cianetti and Xavier de Sousa.
Presented by performingborders and Foreign Actions Productions in collaboration with Live Art Development Agency (London, UK), Contact Theatre (Manchester, UK), Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (Brighton, UK), Artsadmin (London, UK), Deptford Lounge (London, UK), Beyond the Wall/Más Allá del Mur Festival (Nogales, US/Mexico), and the Centre for The Study of Sexual Dissidence (University of Sussex, UK). Supported by the Arts Council England.
For more information on the programme and the artists involved visit – https://performingborders.live/performingborders-live-2019-programme/
Event gallery
Banner image credit:
Image credits: Istanbul Queer Art Collective, photo by Eda Sancakdar. Image design by Mid’A Design.
Latest events
Thinking Images: A Short Course in Video Essay Making
15 Jan 2026 - 14 Mar 2026
Five-week course with film scholar and video essayist Dr. Darren Elliott-Smith, exploring the innovative practice of Video Essay creation as a cutting-edge development in film criticism.
Read moreWalking Each Other Home: Online workshops with Stacy Makishi and Lois Weaver
11 Jan 2026 - 25 Jan 2026
As part of her year-long participatory project Walking Each Other Home, Stacy Makishi will lead three online workshops with collaborator Lois Weaver, exploring where and how we gather.
Read moreLive Art Bookshop x Queer and Feminist Zine Spirits Across Borders
13 Dec 2025
Join us for a performance lecture, a screening of Unbound Zine and Q&A with the director.
Read moreLive Art Mixer: Zine Workshop with Artizine & Mini Zine Fair
13 Dec 2025
Join us for a two-hour zine workshop, and shop printed matter from three Sino-diasporic publishing platforms.
Read moreLive Art Bookshop (Revisited): Katherine Araniello’s The Dinner Party Revisited
05 Dec 2025
Join us for an evening of readings, screenings and a performance offering from Tamm Reynolds, reflecting on Katherine’s legacy.
Read moreLive Art Bookshop (Revisited): Tara Fatehi’s Mishandled Archive
07 Nov 2025
Join us to mark the 5 year anniversary of Tara Fatehi’s Mishandled Archive.
Read moreLive Art Bookshop: Fat Body Work Book Launch
29 Oct 2025
Join us for the launch of Charlotte Cooper’s new book Fat Body Work with a reading, book signing, the world premiere of Nuidey, and a rare screening of SWAGGA.
Read moreDo It Together Information Sessions
17 Oct 2025 - 21 Oct 2025
Free online sessions for artists and practitioners applying to the nation-wide Do It Together peer-to-peer professional development programme.
Read more