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How I Learned to Serve Tea

created by Shaista Latif

A series of on-going workshops and creative consultations on the politics of capacity and resource sharing.

Created and facilitated by Shaista Latif in association with Koffler Centre of the Arts and Why Not Theatre.

Full Artist Statement Here

There is an economy to everything; a cost, a transaction.

What we are able to give and to receive is influenced by our individual and collective understandings of class and identity.

Through acts of play and hospitality, multidisciplinary artist Shaista Latif invites workshop participants to reflect on differences of identity and to use these concepts as navigational tools rather than limitations.

Organizations, students, teachers, artists, and businesses are all invited to participate in this process of exploration aiming to interrogate systems of power, challenge assumptions, and inspire positive reflection and change in our communities.

Workshops are for groups of 5 to 40 people and run 1.5 – 3 hours each.

Workshops are subsidized for qualifying organizations or collectives. No one turned away for lack of funds.

For more information or to book a workshop please contact [email protected].

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

This project is part of Why Not’s SHARE stream of activities. SHARE projects are partnerships with other independent artists and companies to help produce, present, or tour their work.

Presented by Why Not Theatre as a part of Progress Festival

Wednesday, February 12 2020 at 6:00pm
Saturdayday, February 15 2020 at 3:00pm

at The Theatre Centre, BMO Incubator for Live Arts

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can-Afford $10/$20/$30

Why Not Theatre, along with Koffler Centre of the Arts, are working with Shaista Latif as an artist-in-residence throughout the year while she conducts this series of workshops. We are so pleased to have established this unique partnership, and proud to be able to support her research and process for a full year.

Shaista Latif is a Queer Afghan-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, consultant and facilitator. Her works and collaborations have been presented by Koffler Gallery, Ontario Scene Festival, SummerWorks, Why Not Theatre, Blackwood Gallery, Mercer Union, the AGO, Halifax Queer Acts Festival, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and recently the Undercurrents Festival. She is a published playwright (Playwrights Canada Press) and voiced the character Soraya in the Oscar-nominated film The Breadwinner. In 2020, Latif will be touring her critically acclaimed show The Archivist around Ontario. Her latest work Learning the Language of My Enemies was recently presented in conjunction with Nevet Yitzhak: WarCraft at the Koffler Gallery.

The Koffler Centre of the Arts is a cultural platform that explores critical ideas and concerns of our time through exhibitions, publications, performances, literary events and digital initiatives. We examine complex issues through transformative art experiences that stimulate intercultural dialogue and position Jewish identity in conversation with diverse perspectives and global voices. The Koffler Gallery and its administrative offices are located at Artscape Youngplace, in Toronto’s vibrant West Queen West art and design district. Visit http://kofflerarts.org/

Created and Facilitated by Shaista Latif

Photo credits Shaista Latif and Taliesin McEnaney

“The way [Shaista Latif] held such complexity for a group of strangers with unique and layered experiences was entirely impressive...immensely influenced those around the table.”

Cara Gold, Miles Nadal JCC

“I believe our solidarity does not come from despair and suffering but is created from our shared methods of resilience and survival.”

Shaista Latif