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Forward Union Fair 2018


  • Red Bull Arts New York 220 West 18th Street New York, NY, 10011 United States (map)

Forward Union Fair 2018

An annual social action info fair, bringing together diverse activist organizations, topical art installations, and public programs.

  • 12:00 PM

    KEYNOTE BY NO LONGER EMPTY’S YOUTH ACTION COUNCIL

    No Longer Empty's Youth Action Council kicks off the weekend with a reminder of why our votes count.

    Ashanti Strong, Jade Villegas, Jontay Beckles, Justice Hamlin James, Kalia Asencio, Megan Vega, Marvens Volcimus, Mariel Martinez, Sarahfina Cunningham, Stephanie Martinez, and Yewande Ogunleye

    12:30PM

    CIVICS 101: UPCOMING ELECTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT

    Ben Yee, State Committeeman for New York's 66th Assembly District, will take us through the organization and impact of NY politics.

    The primer will include who's up for election this year; what all those people do and how they impact our lives (including the IDC); how voting works, why we do it, and why it is so hard in New York State; and why the census, redistricting, and gerrymandering are so important to discuss. He'll end on the races we should be aware of beyond the midterm elections this November.

    1:10PM

    AMY KHOSHBIN: YOU NEVER KNOW

    You Never Know is a political speech turned cathartic rap dance-party by Iranian-American artist Amy Khoshbin, who is running for City Council in Brooklyn in 2021.

    Exploring the culture of violence and fear-mongering that Western media perpetuates, Khoshbin shares her experiences at a gun show, asks what the opposite of a weapon could be, and encourages a group catharsis through video, dance, and rap music. Can political empowerment for change and liberating entertainment be the same thing?

    1:30PM

    NY POLITICS: POWER, LOGISTICS, AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY

    Using Ben Yee's civics primer as a starting point, Amanda Clarke (Regional Director, Run For Something) facilitates a discussion on New York politics and civic engagement.

    Participants will discuss: Why are the upcoming midterm elections so important? What trends and disruptions do they see in NY races? What does it mean to run a campaign? Is running for office the only way to influence policy changes? What is needed from those of us outside politics who deeply care about state and local policies? Is there hope?

    Participants:

    Amy Khoshbin, artist and City Council candidate

    Mia Pearlman, Founder, True Blue NY

    Kayla Rivera, NY Working Families for Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams

    Dominique Claire Shuminova, Campaign Vice Chair for Alessandra Biaggi

    Ben Yee, State Committeeman, NY's 66th Assembly District

    2:00PM - 5:00PM

    ARAM HAN SIFUENTES: PROTEST BANNER LENDING LIBRARY WORKSHOP

    Join artist Aram Han Sifuentes for this hands-on communal sewing workshop, learn the basic skills necessary to make protest banners on your own, and come together to support each other's voices. Sifuentes explains, "Banners are a way for me to resist what is happening in the United States and in the world. It is a way to put my voice out there and not stay silent. I cannot be silent. However, as a non citizen and a new mother, I cannot always go to protests. And in these workshops I realized that there were many people who came because they needed to find a way to participate, resist, and speak up but also couldn’t always go to protests because they too were mothers, non citizens, undocumented- those who would be at great risk if caught up and arrested. My protest banner making workshops has become a place where people come together in solidarity through making. And making is, in and of itself, a form of resistance."

    No prior sewing skills necessary and all supplies will be provided. Please note that participants should plan to attend the workshop for the full 3 hours.

    3:00PM

    TELLING THE STRONGEST STORY: EFFECTIVE IMPACT THROUGH CREATIVE COLLABORATION

    What do we do when confronted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)? What do we do when ICE is in our neighborhoods, in our streets, in our homes, in the courtroom? What can we do to resist and prevent deportation?

    Join us for a screening of We Have Rights, a series of short videos based on true stories, visualizing actions to take and language to use when confronted by ICE agents. The series was created in partnership with ACLU and Brooklyn Defender Services.

    Stay for a conversation with the collaborators of the film series, as they discuss the idea that launched the series, the filmmaking process and the effective implementation of the films for education, awareness, and policy change.

    Participants:

    Lindsey Buller, Senior Accredited Representative, Immigration Practice, Brooklyn Defender Services)

    Drea Herrera, Organizer, New York Civil Liberties Union

    Michael Kleiman, Co-Director/Co-Producer, We Have Rights, Founder & Executive Director, MediaTank Productions

    4:15PM

    TRAINING: IMMIGRATION ACCOMPANIMENT WITH THE NEW SANCTUARY COALITION

    The New Sanctuary Coalition (NSC) accompaniment program recruits and trains volunteers to accompany people facing deportation to their immigration hearings and ICE check-ins. This provides moral support to the person facing deportation and enables volunteers to hold immigration authorities accountable. Standing in solidarity with migrants facing deportation also demonstrates to immigration judges, ICE officers, and government attorneys that there is a community mobilized against their deportation. NSC accompanies hundreds of people a year.

    Led by Ravi Ragbir (Executive Director, New Sanctuary Coalition) and Sara Gonzalez (New Sanctuary Coalition)

    5:00PM

    HUMANIZING POLICY WITH GENERATOR COLLECTIVE

    How can we organize the noise of policies into digestible human stories and, over all, lower the political barrier to entry?

    Join Generator Collective for an hour of storytelling aimed to reduce the political divide and start human conversations around how policy impacts real people.

    Moderated by Ruby Anaya, with:

    Carmen LoBue, Filmmaker

    Mamoudou N'Diaye, Comedian & Writer

    Jen Winston, Writer & Creative Director

  • 12:00PM

    TOWARDS RACIAL EQUITY IN HEALTHCARE WITH THE NEW YORK HEALTH ACT

    In this panel discussion, healthcare professionals and health equity advocates will talk about the New York Health Act (NYHA), our state-level plan for single-payer universal healthcare, how it might address systemic racism in New York’s healthcare system, and strategies for future action.

    Participants:

    Roona Ray, MD, MPH, family doctor, activist with Campaign for New York Health, Board Member, PNHP NY Metro Chapter

    Daniel Neghassi, MD, family physician at HRHCare Community Health, supervising physician at Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership, Board Member, PNHP NY Metro Chapter

    Katie Robbins, MPH, Director, Campaign for New York Health

    Moderated by Nichole van Beek, artist, teacher, and activist

    1:00PM

    HEALTHCARE & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING MEETING

    National Women's Liberation invites women to gather and answer questions from personal experience. As a group, we will compare the similarities and differences in women's testimonies to study oppression.

    Consciousness-Raising is used as a tool for examining the political root of so-called personal problems. We will look at who is oppressing us, who benefits, who pays, and how to fight back.

    The session will include a briefing on what Consciousness-Raising is, its history, and why they use it; time for people to testify and tell their stories; discuss the similarities and differences in the testimonies to draw pertinent and action-inspiring conclusions.

    Led by Stephanie Kollgaard and Jamie Hoffman, National Women's Liberation

    1:00PM - 3:00PM

    ROSARY SOLIMANTO: WEIGHT

    The interactive artwork titled Weight was created to portray legs as heavy weights, simulating the adversities people experience with invisible health conditions. One-inch-thick steel was used at the at the base of the artistic footwear causing the boots to weigh 25 pounds. The artist Rosary Solimanto will perform with the wearable sculpture identifying with the "weight" of her chronic health condition, multiple sclerosis. She encourages conversations to unfold surrounding disABILITY identity amongst the audience through social engagement exploring empowerment. The visual aesthethic was inspired by orthopedic braces, work boots, and Frankenstein’s boots.

    3:00PM

    MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN GUN VIOLENCE

    How can you make a difference in gun violence locally and nationally? Meet activists and policy experts to discuss gun violence issues and learn how you can effect change. The program will be focused on three pillars: policy, education, and violence interruption.

    Panel participants:

    Kristine Arroyo, Assistant Program Director, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence

    Shanduke McPhatter, CEO, Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc.

    Alyssa Postman Putzel, NY State Leader, Students Demand Action

    Facilitator:

    Stanley Fritz, NYC Campaigns Manager, Citizen Action of New York, and the Engineer/Co-Host of Let Your Voice Be Heard! Radio.

    4:00PM

    DISCUSSION & WORKSHOP: THIS IS NOT A GUN

    This Is Not a Gun is a traveling ceramic workshop that catalyzes conversation around human rights violations and systemic racism through collaborative making. In this hands-on workshop, participants are invited to sculpt from clay a series of ubiquitous objects that have been mistaken for guns by police officers in shootings of unarmed individuals.

    Jade Thacker and Jessica Angima will offer a series of questions for discussion during the making, featuring readings from the recently published “31 Objects” on Montez Press. This is the 8th workshop since March 2017.

    The workshop will take place immediately following the discussion. Attendees to the discussion are encouraged to stay for the hour-long workshop.

    5:00PM

    ANOTHER PROTEST SONG: KARAOKE WITH A MESSAGE

    with Angel Nevarez & Valerie Tevere

    Another Protest Song: Karaoke with a Message (2008 – ongoing) looks to the karaoke songbook as potential for political enunciation through song. Karaoke is communal, social, musical. With protest karaoke, song choices may speak of present political struggles and histories, rather than music consumed primarily as popular culture.

  • 12:00PM - 6:00PM

    WE MAKE AMERICA: ART MAKING SESSIONS

    Join us for hands-on art making projects throughout the fair. Adults and children of all ages can personalize wearables, including fabric Statue of Liberty torches, cast-resin torch pins, leather pendants, and buttons made with your designs.

    In addition, you can decorate cardboard “VOTE” signs to hang in windows and on doors, as well as vote postcards.

    Family friendly. No advance signup required. Make art and make a difference.

    Art making courtesy of the artist activist group We Make America.

    FREE

    MEL CHIN: I LIVE HERE

    Free for all fair attendees.

    I LIVE HERE

    Safety from Law Enforcement Notification Poster

    for User customization and application

    designed by Mel Chin

 

Participating Organizations

 

Participating Artists

Supporters

Forward Union Fair is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

NYC Cultural Affairs

Sanford J. Greenburger Associates

NURTUREart

Lawrence B. and Elyse Benenson, Beverly's, Matthew Doering, Monika Fabijanska, Heide Lange, Myra Sutanto Shen, Wendy Vogel

Team

Maggie Albert
Heather Bhandari
Grace Earle
Abbie Hebein
Allison Kadin
Becky Laughner
Elizabeth Masters
Nicole Rodill
Rachel Selekman

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May 8

FU After Dark
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September 12

Cry Until You Laugh: Forward Union Presents