‘Border / Line خط التماس’ by Jess Semaan and Halim Madi
& ‘Sa Ating Ninuno (To Our Ancestors)’ by Kim Requesto
December 5-6 & 12-13, 2024 @ 8PM PT // December 7 & 14, 2024 @ 2PM PT
80 Turk St, SF
Learn more and get tickets here
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — From the ancestral breezes and passageways of the Philippines to the oral traditions of the mountains of Lebanon, the 2024 CounterPulse ARC Performing Diaspora program presents Sa Ating Ninuno (To Our Ancestors) by Kim Requesto and Border / Line خط التماس by Jess Semaan and Halim Madi. This year’s Performing Diaspora performances invite the audience into a poetic and movement ritual exploration of the story of migration and the formation of self.
Counterpulse’s Artist Residency & Commissioning (ARC) Performing Diaspora program is an incubation residency and commissioning program that supports artists whose work is rooted in a traditional art form, yet is also completely contemporary. Performing Diaspora artists draw on tradition as a radical way to carry the stories of previous lives in today’s time and space.
About Sa Ating Ninuno (To Our Ancestors)
By Kim Requesto
“Sa Ating Ninuno (To Our Ancestors)” in collaboration with Joshua Icban and Matthew Espina Harris, is a transformative project that interlaces various Philippine dance styles, exploring the joy embedded in ancestral lineages and communal experiences. Organized into four segments—Prayer, Reflection, Healing, and Celebration—it draws inspiration from Indigenous rituals and Filipino Martial Arts to create a movement honoring evolving identities in the diaspora. Beyond celebrating inherited joy, the project aims to foster a dialogue about cultural identity among Filipinx-Americans, offering a space for self-exploration and empowerment through movement.
Kim Requesto(she/they) is a Philippine born, Mission District raised Cultural Worker and Interdisciplinary Artist based in Unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory also recognized as San Francisco, California. She specializes in 35mm photography, filmmaking, and dance. At the heart of Kim Requesto’s diasporic work is the mantra, “Advocacy through art.” With an artistic foundation in Philippine folk dance, Requesto has dedicated herself to cultural expression and advocacy through movement, photography, and community outreach.
She navigates her artistic work with the goal of fostering tangible support for Pilipinxs abroad and Indigenous communities in the Philippines. Requesto conducts extensive field research to get a stronger understanding of regional cultures and livelihoods. Her research coincides with her work as a photographer, which allows her to visually share the realities of Philippine citizens. Through the publication of film photography books and the development of contemporary dance pieces, Requesto uses her artistic platforms to not only raise awareness, but to uplift the voices of marginalized communities both in the Philippines and the Philippine diaspora.
Collaborators:
Josh Icban
Matthew Espina Harris
About Border / Line خط التماس
By Jess Semaan and Halim Madi
“Border / Lineخط التماس” is a zajal-infused theatrical journey by Halim and Jess, unfolding in three chapters that traverse the landscapes of Lebanese village life, migration, and cultural hybridization. This immersive play intertwines narratives of identity, tradition, and modernity, using a dynamic ribbon as a central motif to represent the fluidity of borders. It challenges and redefines concepts of purity and arrival, wondering about cultural fusion and the evolution of identity as a form of weaving rather than bridging, engaging audiences in an interactive, somatic re-narrativization of migration and Lebanese culture specifically and Arab culture more generally.
Halim Madi(he/they) grew up in Lebanon, moved to France and Toronto for his studies and to London and Sao Paulo for work. Madi has lived in San Francisco for the last 8 years. In the last decade, Madi has published 4 books of poetry and deepened their exploration of the intersection of poetry and technology. During the pandemic, he found solace in responding to scam texts with poetry. The project turned into a published book which he used to fine tune an LLM that replies to scams with his voice.
Jess Semaan(she/they) is a queer Lebanese poet, psychotherapist, group facilitator and speaker. She researches, writes and speaks on subjects of healing from complex trauma, immigration, war and belonging. Her first poetry book Child of the Moon was published by Andrews McMeel and sold over 14,000 copies. Her second book Your Therapist is Depressed Too came out in December 2023. The book chronicles the life of a new psychotherapist during the pandemic, who is witnessing the collapse of her home country from afar.
ABOUT COUNTERPULSE
CounterPulse is building a movement of risk-taking art that shatters assumptions and builds community. We provide space and resources for emerging artists and cultural innovators, serving as an incubator for the creation of socially relevant, community-based art and culture. CounterPulse acts as a catalyst for art and action; creating a forum for the open exchange of art and ideas, catalyzing transformation in our communities and our society. We work towards a world that celebrates diversity of race, class, cultural heritage, artistic expression, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. We strive to create an environment that is physically and economically accessible to everyone. Counterpulse.org
CounterPulse’s ARC Performing Diaspora residency program is made possible with support from the Ken Hempel Fund for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Photo Credit:
Header Left: Provided by Ralph C.R. Alt text: Kim Requesto is positioned in the middle in front of a background of San Francisco. She is wearing nude colored garments with gold and pearl accessories.
Header Right: Provided by Jess Semaan and Halim Madi Alt text: Two people stand on stage, with their backs to the audience, looking at a projection on the back wall of a text exchange.
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