Canceled: A Crisis in Burma: Artists Respond

This event has been canceled. For more on how to support Burmese artists, read more from Myanm/art director here.

Asian Cultural Council, CultureHub, La MaMa, and Theatre Without Borders/University of Iowa’s Theatre Arts Department present A Crisis in Burma: Artists Respond livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 30 March 2021 at 3 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 5 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 6 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / Wednesday 31 March 2021 at 4:30 a.m. MMT (Myanmar, UTC +6:30).

Join Burmese painter and performance artist Chaw Ei Thein (ACC 2008, 2009) in conversation on the current situation in Burma, moderated by David J. Diamond with Q&A to follow. On February 1, 2021, the military in Burma seized power, imprisoning the leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD), which had won the popular election by a landslide in November 2020. Following the coup, mass protests have erupted across the country, and the military has responded with increasing violence. This conversation is a call to action for the international creative community to join in solidarity with the protesters in Burma.

Chaw Ei Thein was born in Rangoon, Burma and graduated from Rangoon University with a Bachelor of Law degree in 1994. She received artistic recognition from an early age through numerous international art awards, museum and gallery shows, and residencies. With her father, Maung Maung Thein, as her art teacher and mentor, Chaw Ei developed a diverse art practice that includes painting, installation, and performance. In 2008, Chaw Ei received a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council for travel and research in the U.S.

Alongside other artists in Burma, Chaw Ei has been a long-time activist for political change in her country. Currently based in New Mexico, Chaw Ei has remained a central figure in Burma's contemporary art community. Since the February 1st coup that threw Burma into turmoil, she has worked tirelessly to support her fellow artists and the Civil Disobedience Movement in the hope of restoring power to the country’s elected leaders through peaceful protest.

David J Diamond curates the La MaMa Umbria International Symposia, which brings renowned artists from around the world to Spoleto, Italy for workshops, residencies and performances. Currently, he is hosting a weekly gathering of leaders of the Theatre Field to discuss the current and future state of performance around the world. He received two CEC ArtLink Residency grants. He serves on the Steering Committee for Theatre Without Borders and is a Founder and Trustee of Barrow Group Theatre Company. He is an author, community activist, strategic planner and Facilitator of Forum Theatre. As a Fulbright Specialist in Theatre, he recently completed a residency with Dah Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia and did Strategic Planning with BOLD Theatre of Nairobi. David is President of Transformative Coaching for Artists which presents workshops, including Living the Life of an Artist and Directing Your Directing Career. His most recent publications are a chapter in Dah Teatar: A Sourcebook, and an Essay for HowlRound about Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.