Event
Sat 7 Sep - Tue 24 Mar 2020 at Chicago Illnois
A Trip to Chicago
Account of research trip to Chicago Illnois. Meeting Afrofuturist artists, curators, collectors, commentators and leaders with the purpose of developing the Last Blues Song of a Lost Afronaut
Chicago Research Trip 2017
Hosted by
Edson Burton
The Last Blues Song of a Lost Afronaut is a immersive theatre show in development. The discovery of an archaic device on a lifeless planet leads an Afronaut explorer to question the origins of his/her civilization.Event dates
Sat 7 - Tue 17 Sep 2019, Tue 24 Mar 2020 16:48I had applied for a Social Innovation Grant in order to make connections with Afrofuturists, Black artists generally and secondarily to learn at first hand the city’s history of Black migration. I travelled with my partner Paulett Wint. I had made contact via range of personal friends, friends of friends prior to departure which ensured that we had a full itinerary. In addition the trip was an opportunity to meet face to face online contacts that I had made through my curatorial and creative life. We arrived in Chicago 11.00pm local time. We stayed in the predominately African American South side neighbourhood Bronzellewith African American retired finance worker, jeweller and art collector Cnythia Bowman.
The visits and encounters were made possible by friends and contacts who introduced us to their networks. Mary McKay put us in touch with Kathleen McCarthy curator and guide at the Chicago Institute of Art who in turn put us in touch with Annie Morse curator at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Rather than include the entirety of our journey I have attached the final report to the Festival of Ideas/British Council
