Critical Correspondence

What Sustains You AUNTS?

What Sustains You? is a new video project that asks dance artists about money and sustainability. The idea sprung from several events, discussions and proposals addressing in one way or another a necessity to rethink the presenting and creating models. Some of these projects were Charlotte Gibbons’ 4U, Daria Faïn/Prosodic Body’s think tank on the creation of a Commons (both an artistic performance and a civil/justice-building project) and Justine Lynch’s Somatic Alchemy classes. These artists, it seemed to us, challenged traditional exchange contracts of art giving and receiving and blurred definitions of art, production, collaboration, healing, authorship, and more.

What Sustains You? asks these and other artists to talk about their own sustainability as artists and persons, and the ways they are acting on the world to transform those structures and relationships. This is a departing point and the questions continue to be found as the conversations accumulate. We would love to hear if you want to participate or have a suggestion for people you would like to see interviewed.