Performance in the Borderlands

At the intersection of arts, performance and social justice

We undertake special initiatives to advance the mission of serving as a beacon for the cultural, artistic and educational resources in the region.

We advocate for artists and fund performances, lectures, workshops and social engagements for community members and students. Through the arts, we cultivate “spaces of generosity” where we come together to foster community and the exchange of ideas.

Upcoming events

liliana gomez

Liliana Gomez

September 25, 2023

Workshops with ASU students and a binational co-created performance at the US/MX border in the fall of 2023.

Liliana Gomez is a mother, dance maker, producer and arts advocate from Phoenix, AZ. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Liliana has a passion for sharing dance within her community and has choreographed for public spaces such as galleries, canals, gardens, libraries and more. She is the managing director for the BlakTinx Dance Festival which showcases the work of Black and Latinx choreographers in Phoenix and Los Angeles, produced by the Latina Dance Project, of which Liliana is a member of. Currently Liliana is the Dance Department head at the Phoenix Center for the Arts and teaches a weekly dance class. Liliana was a cohort member for the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Leadership Institute, participated in the National Presenters Forum at Jacob’s Pillow, and has been a selected artist for Dance in the Desert; A gathering of Latinx Arizona Dance Artists. In 2015, Liliana won the Mayor's Arts Award, was one of three finalists for the 2017 & 2018 Governor's Arts Awards, named Best Dancer for Phoenix New Times 2017 and in 2018 was one of Phoenix Magazine’s 40 under 40 Artist category. Liliana invests in her community as she has served on many local art board of directors and as a panelist for many national grant calls, advocating for more dance opportunities.

virginia grise

Virginia Grise

Fall 2023

Performing Stories as Activism

Student workshops to learn methods to transform personal story to performance, theatre, and dance. Students will develop short solo-performances rooted in testimony, identity, and liberation. Ideal for all students, especially bilingual, queer, women of color interested in social justice and performance for social change.

politics of place

Politics of Place

Monday, Nov. 6 | 3 - 5 pm

Site-specific storytelling, poetry and performance walking tour to investigate and testify to the ongoing displacement of Black and Indigenous communities due to aggressive light-rail development and privatization along the downtown and south side corridor. Participants will learn about the history of the place and the environmental degradation along the Rio Salado River. Participants will learn about the ongoing cultural organizing and grassroots movements to protect small businesses and families from encroaching light rail displacement and increase cost of living associated with privatization. Featured artists include ASU students.

Register online to attend.

binational arts residency

Binational Arts Residency

April 6, 2024

The Binational Arts Residency (BNAR) began in 2015 with the idea of connecting cultural communities in the Sonoran Desert with issues of social justice and identity through art. Over the course of the residency, artists, cultural leaders, and students collaborate to create artistic workshops, performances, and public talks in their communities to build dialogue around social issues. Each BNAR creates an artistic collaboration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Now in its sixth year, BNAR works with communities in: Phoenix (US), Tucson (US), Douglas (US), Mexicali (MX), Nogales (MX), and Agua Prieta (MX). Partnership with ASU Dance, ASU School of Popular Music.

https://www.binationalartsresidency.com/