As a disabled person I have always appreciated CounterPulse’s support and presentation of disabled artists. In the two plus years I have been with CounterPulse, I have seen several amazing shows by disabled artists: dancers on crutches, dancers with prosthetic limbs, dancers in wheelchairs, and dancers with a visual impairment. Being disabled, and an arts […]
Rick Darnell
Entries By Rick Darnell
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May 15, 2018
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Block Fest: Shattering Assumptions and Building Community
It’s not immodest of me to say that CounterPulse is one of the best things that could have happened to the Tenderloin, because it’s true. Although we have been in operation at 80 Turk since March 2016, we are still the new kids on the block. The mission of CounterPulse is deeply rooted in social […]
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It’s amazing how much better a meal tastes when there’s a seat at the table for everyone.
The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 set the bar for equitable physical access to facilities and public accommodations. Bathrooms are handicap accessible, buildings have elevators, stairs have handrails, Braille signage is posted, doorways are wide enough for wheelchairs, toilets have grab bars and so on What the ADA requirement doesn’t mandate is a mindset […]
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The Night We Summoned a Goddess
Dohee Lee’s ARA Ritual I: Waterways, Photos by Robbie Sweeny Have, you ever noticed, when you attend a CounterPulse show, that you, as a member of the the audience, stand a good chance of having a performer ask for your help with summoning something? Energy, clapping your hands, stomping your feet, all kinds […]
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September 7, 2016
As a practicing artist, I do a lot of research to support my projects. Here are some resources I have found, that support the independent, self-organized work of artists and small groups that play a critical and significant role within the San Francisco Bay Area communities. None of these require a fiscal agent or […]
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September 7, 2016
Stephanie Bastos is my new hero. Like me, she has a physical disability, and I found myself drawn into her piece. Moreover, I felt as though Stephanie was talking to me. Her story is compelling, and she is as engaging onstage as she is in everyday life. If pressed for an answer, most people would […]
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September 7, 2016
I regularly see Zoë at CounterPulse. I was going to gush about Zoë’s wide range of skill sets, how insanely capable she is, but that’s true of everyone at CounterPulse. But having never seen Zoë perform before, never having seen what kind of work she makes, I was pretty curious. Like Stephanie, Zoë is a […]
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August 24, 2016
First Person Experience – GIRLFLY 7/22/16 Even though I have a years’ long history of seeing shows, and performing in a variety of public venues, I can be a bit a bit of a wall flower, at times (Confession: I have been sidelined due to an injury, and GirlFly is the first live show I […]
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August 11, 2016
As an independent artist, I do a lot of research to support my own work. Here are some resources I have found, that support the independent, self-organized work of artists and small groups that play a critical and significant role within the San Francisco Bay Area communities. None of these require a fiscal agent or […]