Thursday, July 19th - Silk Road Theatre Project, Chicago

Rev. Philip Blackwell, Senior Pastor of the First United Methodist Church at The Chicago Temple, and his wife Sally Blackwell, hosted a dinner honoring the conference attendees at their home (the church parsonage) in the steeple of The Chicago Temple Building.

In addition to conference attendees, guests included members of Silk Road Theatre Project’s Board of Directors and Company, and the following VIP’s:

Janet Carl-Smith
Deputy Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago

Lyle Allen
Executive Director, League of Chicago Theatres

Julie Burros
Director of Cultural Planning, City of Chicago

Suzanne Connor
Senior Program Officer, Arts and Culture, Chicago Community Trust

Claire Geall-Sutton
Cultural Programs Manager, City of Chicago

Ryan LaHurd
President, The Kemper Foundation

Laura Lamarouex
Business Representative, Actor’s Equity Association

Kathryn Lamkey
Central Regional Director, Actor’s Equity Association

Diana Martinez
Vice-President, Board of Directors, League of Chicago Theatres

David Roche
Director of Fine and Performing Arts, Chicago Public Schools

Ty Tabing
Executive Director, Chicago Loop Alliance

Christy Uchida
Community Investor, Global Corporate Citizenship, Boeing Corporation

Friday, July 20th - Silk Road Theatre Project, Chicago

Co-Moderators: Malik Gillani & Jamil Khoury

Words of welcome and keynote address from conference co-hosts, Malik Gillani and Jamil Khoury.

Each participant introduced him/herself and was asked to identify goals and desired outcomes for the conference.

Moderator: Shaheen Vaaz

In this session we discussed the intra-communal challenges of being a South Asian American theatre artist and explored strategies for confronting the expectations of our families, our communities, and ourselves. The particular challenges faced by South Asian American women in theatre will also be addressed.

Moderator: Susan Kanga

In this session we discussed the importance of creating an authentic canon of South Asian American plays. Should such a canon celebrate the cultures and stories of “back home” or reflect the realities of Diaspora? What makes for an authentically South Asian voice? Roles written by South Asians vs. roles written for South Asians. How do we integrate hybrid and mixed blood experiences, along with the phenomena of a rapidly globalizing world, into our collective voices?

Saturday, July 21st - Silk Road Theatre Project, Chicago

Co-Moderators: Malik Gillani & Sharmila Rao Thakkar

In this session we discussed how to make the case for funding South Asian American theatre. Topics included: navigating the differences between foundation giving, corporate giving, state/federal giving, and individual giving; the difficulties of fundraising for theatre within our South Asian communities; linking South Asian art to product marketing; aligning our agendas with the agendas of potential funders; and the unique challenges of raising funds for solo work.

Moderator: Nandita Shenoy

In this session we examined the challenges and rewards of professionalizing our companies and organizations. What are the pros and cons of going Equity? Non- profit vs. for-profit? Can emerging companies pay artists a decent wage? How do we entice higher profile playwrights and directors to work with us? How do we pursue partnerships with larger organizations without being made the “junior partner”? What does it mean to run a “tight ship”? Weighing the realities and pros and cons of self-producing.

Co-Moderators: Geeta Citygirl & Uzma Rizvi

In this session, we explored our roles as both artists and activists. Does such a duality exist? Do we as artists have a responsibility to advocate for social change within our often resistant communities? How do questions of war and peace, civil liberties, race, class, gender, and sexuality impact our art? How do we support feminist and queer artists in a socially conservative context? What types of alliances should South Asian American artists be building with other minority communities?

Co-Moderators: Purva Bedi & Sharmila Devar

In this session we explored strategies for building and sustaining a South Asian American theatre movement. Topics included: developing and nurturing actors, playwrights, directors, producers, designers, and dramaturges of South Asian backgrounds; establishing our own theatre companies vs. integrating into existing theatre companies; the debate over non-traditional casting; and breaking into the mainstream.

Sunday, July 22nd - Chicago City Centre Hotel (33 E. Ohio St.), Chicago

Co-Moderators: Jamil Khoury & Dipti Patel

In this session we brainstormed ideas and identified necessary steps for building a national network of South Asian American theatre artists. Should we create a common web site for South Asian American theatre nationally? How do we define “support”? How can we promote each other’s projects and shows? How can we collaborate on projects in different cities? What are the advantages and risks of co-producing?