Mighty Real

MIGHTY REAL: The Politics of Queer Nightlife. Presented by the Center for Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. A 4-part series running through the Fall semester. Open to all. See full description for details of each event. Co-sponsored by The South Asia Institute; Department of English; Center for Asian American Studies; Harry Ransom Center; Radio, Television, Film Department; Division of Diversity and Community Engagement; Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies; Department of Mexican and Latina/o Studies; Department of American Studies; LGBTQ Research Cluster; the Humanities Institute, through the Holloway Centennial Lectureship in Liberal Arts; & Performance as Public Practice Program. EVERYTHING IS AUSTIN A roundtable with nightlife artists and entrepreneurs Featuring Queer Qumbia, House of Shakur, The Glitoris, Body Rock ATX, DJ Boyfriends, BLXPTN, Cheer Up Charlies Thursday October 8, 1 – 3pm Prothro Theatre, Harry Ransom Center This roundtable brings together local party organizers, musicians, DJs, and entrepreneurs to discuss the politics of nightlife. Each panelist has done particular work to diversify Austin nightlife by emphasizing gender diversity, alternative music choices, inclusion of people of color, and new kinds of programming. In our city so deeply defined by its nightlife cultures, these artists are able to develop and foster new subcultures. This conversation will be moderated by PJ Raval, Assistant Professor of Radio, Television, Film. SALAAM E ISHQ An artist talk and conversation with DJ Rekha Thursday October 15, 1:30 – 3:15pm Belo Center for New Media, Rm. 5.102 DJ Rekha is a producer, curator and educator based in New York City. She is the founder of the Basement Bhangra™, Bollywood Disco and co-founder of Mutiny Club nights. She was named "Ambassador of Bhangra" by the New York Times. Rekha and her frequent co‐collaborator, Dave Sharma, performed their compositions at Chicago Symphony Hall for the Sinfonetta this year. Rekha was the sound designer for the TONY award-winning Broadway Show, "Bridge and Tunnel", received a Drama Desk Award nomination for her work on the play "Rafta Rafta"and the associate producer for the NPR Radio Documentary, "A Feet in Two Worlds." Her debut album, DJ Rekha presents Basement Bhangra was released in 2007. In 2009, DJ Rekha was inducted into the New York City's Peoples’ Hall of Fame. Her record label Beat Bazaar Music issued its debut single release, Pyar Baile worldwide in Nov. 2011. She has curated events for Celebrate Brooklyn, Central Park Summerstage and has performed internationally. DJ Rekha was a Grand Marshall of the 9th Annual NYC Dance Parade in 2015. You can see her perform live the first Thursdays at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City and hear her weekly podcast Bhangra and Beyond on www.breakthruradio.com. Rekha’s artist talk will be followed by an interview with TAMU Assistant Professor of English Vanita Reddy, UT Austin Professor of English Snehal Shingavi, and local activist Surabhi Kukke. SISSY THAT TALK A graduate student symposium Friday December 4 Time & Location TBD Students in the Queer Nightlife graduate seminar will present artworks, soundscapes, visual works, and performances they have developed through their in-class research. Working with and through the aesthetics of nightlife, they will share the archive of Austin’s queer nightlife that they have collected over the course of the semester. COMO LA DANCEFLOR: An artist talk and conversation with AB Soto Thursday September 17, 1:30 – 3:15 pm Prothro Theatre, Harry Ransom Center Born in East Los Angeles AB’s work as a visual / performance artist and musician is an amalgamation of his Latin roots and early influences; street and pop culture. This combined with a rebellious streak that challenges and questions mainstream gay culture and norms is what defines AB as a recording artist. AB’s early background as a professional dancer and fashion designer informs his work as the artist he is today - all of AB’s work is original and self produced; choreography, lyric, styling and design. AB’s art is a stylized commentary on homophobic attitudes present in the dominate culture. His aim is to show the diversity of the more marginalized members of the gay community and bring them to a wider audience. AB Soto will offer a 35-minute artist talk, followed by a conversation with local activist Jesus Valles, Assistant Professor of English Julie Minich, and Associate Professor of Performance as Public Practice Laura Gutierrez.