COME ONE, COME ALL TO THE
CIRCUS OF LIFE !
Join us for the inaugural Counterpublic Convening, a free festival bringing together leading artists, thinkers, and advocates to imagine new ways of being in the world together. Organized by New York-based writer and curator Laura Raicovich, alongside Ringleaders Kenneth Bailey, Galen Gritts, Nontsikelelo Mutiti, and Jeanne van Heeswijk, CIRCUS OF LIFE cultivates connections and shared experiences during a time when locating what we hold in common is urgent and necessary. Hosted at the Big Top, an iconic circus tent in the Grand Center Arts District, the program expands imaginations and engages participants through joy, delight, and creative expression.
Inspired by the richness of circus entertainment and artists’ ability to expand society’s imagination, CIRCUS OF LIFE will bring a variety of such experiences to the public. Artists, advocates, and cultural leaders will present ideas and performances, share conversations, pose questions, and host booths of fun and exchange for all to make meaning together. Organized in five distinct Acts, each with its own theme, the Big Top will host a combination of live performance, song, discussion, and a variety of entertainment and spectacle. Surrounding the Big Top will be booths and tables by artists and collaborators presenting activities and games, alongside mystical and educational experiences. Workshops will unfold over the course of the weekend, offering ways to engage in-depth in hands-on activities and discussions.
Learn to juggle, listen to stories of migration, watch performance with enormous puppets, discuss how we might live better together today, listen to songs of freedom and love, cast spells, be together.
Keynotes include poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the radical Bread & Puppet Theater, co-host of Democracy Now! Nermeen Shaikh, cultural critic Roxane Gay, and musicians Ali Sethi and Nicolás Jaar.
Enlivening the inherent relationship between art and daily life, CIRCUS OF LIFE is an adventure of your choosing, where pleasure meets rowdiness, joy meets skepticism, indulgence meets experimentation.
All are welcome.
A schedule of events and registration can be found below and will be detailed in the coming months. CIRCUS OF LIFE identity and set design by Nontsikelelo Mutiti and Andrew Sloat.
Learn more about Curator Laura Raicovich by reading her curatorial statement.
PARTICIPANTS
Action St. Louis • Bad Drawing Club • Kenneth Bailey • Chloë Bass • Lauren Bon and The Metabolic Studio • Bread & Puppet Theater • Bread and Roses • Rashida Bumbray • Circus Harmony • Department of Transformation with Prem Krishnamurthy and Sam Rauch • EarthDance Farms • Marc Bamuthi Joseph • Tania El Khoury • Roxane Gay • Galen Gritts • Jeanne van Heeswijk • Hilma’s Ghost • Sarah Kendzior • Kendrick Smith Quartet • Larry Krone (with Special Guests) • Metro Trans Umbrella Group • NEU ER World • Molly Pearson • Brontez Purnell • Kameelah Janan Rasheed • Ali Sethi and Nicolás Jaar • Nermeen Shaikh • Finnegan Shannon • St. Louis Metro Market • Joia Walker • More!
ABOUT
The Convening is designed to be a standalone signature event alongside Counterpublic’s triennial exhibition with a different set of themes, participants and focus topics. Taking place every three years between exhibition editions, the Counterpublic Convening aims to test new models of organizing, create dynamic points of assembly and to push forward discourse towards generational change.
MEET THE TEAM
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MEET THE TEAM •
SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE
Accessibility
Programs include American Sign Language translation and access to program materials in print and through the Bloomberg Connects App, which includes translation into multiple languages and screen reader capabilities. Some events will include loud music and bright lights. The Big Top is located on an asphalt parking lot and fully wheelchair accessible including access to restrooms and tents. The Counterpublic House is a historic home outfitted with an outdoor wheelchair lift to the first floor of the house with an accessible restroom and outdoor patio access through an alley entry. If you require assistance or have particular questions please contact the Counterpublic team at hello@counterpublic.org.
Locations
The Big Top and Counterpublic House in the Grand Center Arts District
REGISTER for the
circus of life
The CIRCUS OF LIFE is free and open to all. Purchasing a ticket supports presenters and production of this free event. Actual cost per attendee for Counterpublic is $50. We encourage you to register for the event at the scale of your choice. Tickets are not required for entry.
FREE
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FREE •
STUDENT
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STUDENT •
ARTIST / EDUCATOR
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ARTIST / EDUCATOR •
ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS
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ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS •
INVESTOR IN CULTURE
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INVESTOR IN CULTURE •
ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
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ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE •
TRAVEL
Coming to town for the CIRCUS OF LIFE? Book a room at one of our partnering hotels, 21c Museum Hotel and The Chase Park Plaza.
A stay at The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis puts you in the heart of St. Louis' bustling Central West End district with an abundance of art, boutiques, and entertainment nearby. The Chase Park Plaza is offering a discounted rate of $209/night* for a standard king room and $229/night* for a one-bedroom queen suite. Book your discounted rate at the Chase Park Plaza.
Located in the heart of downtown, 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis is a boutique hotel that houses a contemporary art museum, the Idol Wolf restaurant, the Good Press café, and the Locust Street Athletic and Swim Club, a full-service wellness center. Discounted rates will be available by the end of May. Check back soon!
*plus taxes and fees, while availability lasts
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lead support for the Counterpublic Convening comes from the Regional Arts Commission ARPA for the Arts grant. Additional support comes from the Wagner Foundation and Strive Fund. Support for The Big Top comes from the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
