Diasporas in Dialogue: Multiculturalism, Migration and the Improvisatory Imagination

As agents—national, transnational, local, non-governmental, ad-hoc, and so on- engage in highly improvisatory responses to the refugee/immigration crisis, and as rapidly changing situations demand nimble and quick responses, what might improvisational theory bring to the table? In the face of the profound suffering we are witnessing, is there a place for arts-based practices in addressing this crisis?

Photo © Socrates Baltagiannis

Credits

Curated by
Eric Lewis, Christos Carras
Organized by
Pasqua Vorgia

Conference program

All lectures and panel discussions are followed by a Q&A session

Saturday 8 October

10:00-10:15
Welcome and introduction by Eric Lewis and Christos Carras
10:15-11:00
“Migration, Improvisation and Social Norms”
Christine Straehle, Associate Professor of Ethics and Applied Ethics at the University of Ottawa and in the Department of Philosophy of Groningen University
11:00-11:45
“From Multicultural Theory to Multicultural Practice”
Lecture by Daniel Weinstock, Founding Director of the Centre de Recherche en Ethique de l’Université de Montréal; holds a Canada Research Chair in Ethics and Political Philosophy
11:45-12:00
Break
12:00-12:45
“Streams, Dreams, Fires, and Crossroads in Los Angeles: Improvising Intentional Encounters”
Deborah Wong, Ethnomusicologist, Professor of Music at the University of California, Riverside
12:45-13:30
“Decolonial Artivistas on the U.S.-Mexico Border”
George Lipsitz, Professor of Black Studies and Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara
13:30-14:30
Break
14:30-15:15
“A Glimpse of Who Else We Ourselves Might Be: Improvisation, Multiculturalism and the Critical Practice of Festival Curation”
Ajay Heble, Founding Director of the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI), Professor of English in the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph
15:15-16:00
“Acts of Citizenship, Migration and Culture in Greece: the Lyrics and Music of Negros tou Moria”
Nelli Kampouri, Research Fellow, Center for Gender Studies at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
16:00-16:15
Break
16:15-17:45
Panel 1: “Improvised Art in Times of Crisis: The Koumaria Residency Experience”
With: Victoria Guy, Nadav Heyman, Kleopatra Korai, Lucia Jeesun Lee, Manolis Manousakis, Fawn Qiu
Moderated by Eric Lewis, Director of IPLAI (Institute for the Public Life of Arts and Ideas), Professor of Philosophy at McGill University

Sunday 9 October

10:00-10:45
“From Swimming to Dying: What is Left to Improvise for Sharing Public Space in Europe (i.e. on European beaches)?”
Valérie Amiraux, Professor of Sociology at the University of Montreal; holds a Canada research Chair for the Study of Religious Pluralism
10:45-11:30
“Rethinking Urban Diversity”
Thomas Maloutas, Secretary General for Research & Technology (Greek Ministry of Education), Professor of Human Geography at Harokopio University
11:30-11:45
Break
11:45-13:15
Panel 2: “Urban Improvisation: Civilians respond to the challenges posed by the refugee crisis”
With: Fanis Kollias & Khan Yousafzai (Solomon), Varvara Papadopoulou, Ioanna Theodorou (Campfire Innovation), Lida Tsene (Impact Hub), Panagiotis Tzanetakis (Khora Community Centre)
Moderated by Amalia Zepou, Vice Mayor for Civil Society and Innovation, Municipality of Athens