Join Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and a panel of multi-disciplinary Asian American writers and artists for a vital discussion about organizing towards our collective liberation through the arts.

For generations, Asian American organizers have harnessed the arts to spur change. Joining this tradition, community arts organizations and teaching artists curate events for learning and to challenge the status quo. Panelists will discuss the lineage of the arts – including literature, dance, music, and performance – as part of Asian American action; how teaching artists use workshops to organize; and how such spaces provide frameworks for action and respite from the mainstream arts establishment.

Panelists include Jerome Viloria, musician, dancer, and acting director of Kinding Sindaw; Dena Igusti, an Indonesian Muslim playwright and poet; and Rachel Chang, a musician, songleader, and educator.

The discussion will be moderated by Roohi Choudhry, writer, organizer, and educator, who organized a similar panel as part of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in March 2025.

The panel discussion will culminate with a brief performance and call-and-response song by Rachel Chang. There will be time for Q&A and a reception following the panel.

The event is hosted by Accent Sisters, an artist-run bookstore and gallery for diasporic creatives, located in Union Square. This event is open to all, particularly artists, organizers, and cultural workers.

This event requires RSVP with a suggested donation of $5.

Agenda:
6:40-7:20 pm (40 min) – Panel
7:20-7:30 pm (10 min) – Performance
7:30–8:00 pm (30 min) – Q&A
8:00–8:30 pm (30 min) – Reception

Recording: The panel discussion will be recorded and published on A4’s YouTube channel after the event.