POSTPONED DUE TO SEPTA STRIKE. NEW DATE TBD.

Why DxE?: Animal Liberation in 1 Generation

Have you ever wondered about the tactics and strategy of DxE? Join us for this presentation and free vegan snacks at The Rotunda. 

Come learn about the powerful ideas behind Direct Action Everywhere, the young grassroot animal liberation network whose activism has recently been covered by The New York Times, CNN, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

This presentation will share DxE’s model, why it has been so successful, and how we will achieve animal liberation in one generation. Topics will include:

The power of provocation, and how DxE's campaigns have provoked public consciousness (including national press coverage), inspired nonviolent direct action in cities & countries across the world, and saved the lives of individual animals. 

The impact of open rescue - how this tactic can not only save individual lives - but create stories to inspire and change our culture's view towards nonhumans.

The transformative potential of community, and how building strong empowered communities can help change the world for animals. 

And more!

Admission is FREE 

Incident: The Consequence of Locker Room Talk

Plays With A BITE!

For Immediate Release 

One night only! November 4 at 8pm at The Rotunda

A bold new play reflecting comments and defense of sexual assault in the news today.

Underbite Theatre Company presents a one night only theatrical script in hand performance of “Incident: The Consequence of Locker Room Talk” directed by Shelli Pentimall Bookler. 

“Grab a woman by the p* *y” “You can do anything…when you’re a star they let you do it” “It must be a pretty picture…you dropping to your knees” ”It’s locker room talk… it’s what boys do”. These statements have been made and defended in the media today, and it is this perspective which creates the dangerous rape culture of our society. This play shows what happens when the comments reflect action, and the lifelong impact of sexual violence from the perspective of both the assailants and the survivor.

This play was performed once at Temple University’s Playfest, a staged reading of MFA Playwriting student’s work. Underbite Theatre Company decided to create a one night only performance the weenend before the Presidential election to join in the fight against sexual violence and the dismissal of recent derogatory comments in the media as simply “locker room talk.” 

Incident: The Consequence of Locker Room Talk is being performed for one night only at The Rotunda at 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. Tickets are $10 at the door. 

Incident: The Consequence of Locker Room Talk features Philadelphia actors Austin Stanton, Jaron C. Battle, Michael Bee and Joshua McLucas. It is written and directed by Shelli Pentimall Bookler, who received her Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting from Temple University. Matt Bookler is the co-founder of Underbite Theatre Company and the producer. Underbite Theatre Company is a non-profit theatre company dedicated to producing original, edgy, theatrical plays with a social mission. 

About the Playwright/Director: Shelli Pentimall Bookler is a Philadelphia based actor, director, choreographer and playwright. She has a Master of Arts degree in Theatre from Eastern Michigan University, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Playwriting from Temple University and studied acting and directing at The Actor’s Studio in New York.  She’s worked with several local theatre companies, including Montgomery Theatre, Plays and Players, Simpatico Theatre, and Facetime Theatre. She co-founded Underbite Theatre Company with her husband, Matt, and currently serves as Artistic Director. This is Underbite Theatre Company’s fourth production. The first, Bird in the Window, premiered at the Shubin Theatre in 2013. In 2014 it premiered Snyder v. Phelps, the musical as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, funded in part by the Bucks County Arts Council. Last year they produced John Anastasi’s Would You Still Love Me, IF…?  At the Walnut Street Studio 5, the story of a woman transitioning into a man and the impact on family and relationships. 

For addition information contact Shelli Pentimall Bookler at shelli@underbitetheatre.com or visit the website at www.underbitetheatre.com.

Admission is $10.

Opening the Borders: Free Movement, Free People

This seminar will cover one of the most contentious issues of this election year: immigration. From classical liberal to progressive perspectives, this nonpartisan event will bring scholars and students together to explore the idea of open borders, offering new insights and inspiration for tackling this important issue.

Tackle provocative questions like:

- Is there a right to immigrate?

- What can we do to address problems related to immigration?

- What’s the historical relationship between states, nations, citizenship, and immigration?

Speakers:

Prof. Peter Jaworski - Assistant Teaching Professor of Business Ethics atGeorgetown University

Alex Nowrahsteh - Immigration Policy Analyst at The Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity

Prof. Jacqueline Stevens - Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies at Northwestern University

Niloufar Khonsari - Executive Director of Pangea Legal Services

This program is a collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Effective Altruists and the Free Migration Project. It is made possible through the support of the John Templeton Foundation.

Register now to join top professors and public intellectuals as they present economic, historical, philosophical, and legal cases for the freedom of mobility. Admission is FREE but we ask that you register in advance HERE: https://www.tfaforms.com/442612

CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

Crossroads presentsLAS CAFETERAS

A uniquely Angeleno blend of punk, hip-hop, beat music, cumbia and rock

“I left not sure what I had just experienced. A concert? A square dance? A political rally? A community meeting? A ballet? A trip back to 1961 with Rosie and the Originals? A fiesta? All of the above? I also walked out asking two questions: Why doesn’t Las Cafeteras have a Grammy, and when do you play at the White House?” – Music Fridays

Children’s ProgramChildren’s programs begin at 6:00, last 30-40 minutes, and are free to children under 12 and their parents or other caregivers. Unless otherwise noted, they take place at the same location as the concert. Seating is first come, first served.

Please note: children must be accompanied by parents or other adults at all times as we do not have the staff or legal clearences to supervise unaccompanied children.

Biography

Las Cafeteras create a vibrant musical fusion with a unique East LA sound and a community-focused political message. Their Afro-Mexican rhythms, zapateado and inspiring lyrics tell stories of a community who is looking for love and fighting for justice in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles.

Las Cafeteras formed as a band in 2008 with the purpose of documenting the histories of their neighborhoods through music. As musicians, they started as students of the Eastside Café, a Zapatista inspired community space in East Los Angeles where they were influenced by the culture, storytelling, and poetic music of Son Jarocho, a traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico. To traditional Son Jarocho sounds, they add Afro-Caribbean marimbol and cajón, poetry in English and Spanglish, and instruments like jarana, requinto, a donkey jawbone and a wooden platform called the Tarima.

Their namesake derives from the organization where they took classes, the Eastside Café. However, to honor women and challenge masculine language, they feminized their group name by calling themselves, Las Cafeteras, rather than Los Cafeteros.

Las Cafeteras have taken the music scene by storm with their infectious live performances and have crossed-genre and musical borders, playing with bands such as Mexican icons Caifanes, Lila Downs, Colombian superstar Juanes, Los Angeles legends Ozomatli, folk/indie favorites Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and most recently with Talib Kweli.

Children’s ProgramChildren’s programs begin at 6:00, last 30-40 minutes, and are free to children under 12 and their parents or other caregivers. Unless otherwise noted, they take place at the same location as the concert. Seating is first come, first served.

Please note: children must be accompanied by parents or other adults at all times as we do not have the staff or legal clearences to supervise unaccompanied children.

Admission is FREE

Crossroads 

presentsLAS CAFETERAS

A uniquely Angeleno blend of punk, hip-hop, beat music, cumbia and rock

“I left not sure what I had just experienced. A concert? A square dance? A political rally? A community meeting? A ballet? A trip back to 1961 with Rosie and the Originals? A fiesta? All of the above? I also walked out asking two questions: Why doesn’t Las Cafeteras have a Grammy, and when do you play at the White House?” – Music Fridays

Children’s ProgramChildren’s programs begin at 6:00, last 30-40 minutes, and are free to children under 12 and their parents or other caregivers. Unless otherwise noted, they take place at the same location as the concert. Seating is first come, first served.

Please note: children must be accompanied by parents or other adults at all times as we do not have the staff or legal clearences to supervise unaccompanied children.

Biography

Las Cafeteras create a vibrant musical fusion with a unique East LA sound and a community-focused political message. Their Afro-Mexican rhythms, zapateado and inspiring lyrics tell stories of a community who is looking for love and fighting for justice in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles.

Las Cafeteras formed as a band in 2008 with the purpose of documenting the histories of their neighborhoods through music. As musicians, they started as students of the Eastside Café, a Zapatista inspired community space in East Los Angeles where they were influenced by the culture, storytelling, and poetic music of Son Jarocho, a traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico. To traditional Son Jarocho sounds, they add Afro-Caribbean marimbol and cajón, poetry in English and Spanglish, and instruments like jarana, requinto, a donkey jawbone and a wooden platform called the Tarima.

Their namesake derives from the organization where they took classes, the Eastside Café. However, to honor women and challenge masculine language, they feminized their group name by calling themselves, Las Cafeteras, rather than Los Cafeteros.

Las Cafeteras have taken the music scene by storm with their infectious live performances and have crossed-genre and musical borders, playing with bands such as Mexican icons Caifanes, Lila Downs, Colombian superstar Juanes, Los Angeles legends Ozomatli, folk/indie favorites Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and most recently with Talib Kweli.

Tickets are priced at various levels in order to make this as affordable for you as possible. Please click HERE for ticketing and more info! 

Andrew's Video Vault at The Rotunda

FREE Screenings Continuous From 8 PM on the Second THURSDAY of Every Month!

Since 2004, Andrew’s Video Vault is a free, once-a-month screening series at The Rotunda in West Philadelphia. Andrew’s Video Vault programs original, obscure, neglected, marginalized and commercially unavailable video media. It connects the West Philly neighborhood to the University of Pennsylvania community and fosters a multicultural examination of motion pictures in a relaxed, educational setting.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Cinema Studies Program and The Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania. This  project is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Support also provided by PECO. This program is administered regionally by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

NOVEMBER 10

Don Siegel Double Feature

CHARLEY VARRICK (1973/111 minutes) Gripping crime film starring Walter Matthau, in one of his best performances, as a bank robber whose life goes through a series of twists and turns when it turns out his last payload was mafia money. Also stars Felicia Farr, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon.

THE BEGUILED (1971 /105 minutes) Bizarre Southern Gothic drama stars Clint Eastwood as an injured Yankee soldier taken in by an all-girls boarding school in Louisiana where things quickly get hot, heavy, humid, and twisted. Also stars Geraldine Page.

Guest Host and Curator: Mike Zaleski

DECEMBER 8

TOO MUCH JOHNSON (1938/67 minutes) Newly discovered Orson Welles footage—silent, unedited camera rolls from 1938. Originally filmed to accompany the Mercury Theatre’s production of William Gillette’s 1894 comedy Too Much Johnson, but never used. Footage features frequent Welles collaborator, Joseph Cotten.

FÅRÖ DOCUMENT 1979 (1979/100 minutes) Documentary by Ingmar Bergman about his adopted home, the island of Fårö, where he filmed many of his best works and lived until the end of his life.

GLITTERBUG (1994/60 minutes) Montage of Super 8 footage shot by filmmaker Derek Jarman from 1970 to 1986 — part home-movie, part formal experimentation and part social documentary. Music by Brian Eno.

Admission to all Andrew's Video Vault screenings is FREE

Event Horizon Series

November 11th Michael Rabito, Rosie Langabeer and It's Not Night...It's Space

Michael Rabito is a musician that has been discovering his propensity for the fusion of opposites for many years now. He started taking the electric guitar seriously when he was eleven and was playing out professionally by the time he left for college with his band in Vermont.  After a move to Boston the bringing together of the free flow of improvisation and the rigidity of structure increased as he played with a group of Berklee College of Music musicians for about five years. During this time his interest in loops, synthesizers and keyboards began to grow and helped to fuse space, harmony, action and dissonance. This has all culminated with his latest project back in the Princeton area called Manifested; A progressive fusion of funk, rock, dance and ambient music that has brought the group to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and many points between within their first year. They can be heard here with more information at their facebook page. Michael also performs interactive ambient space music with local visual artist Ted Klett. They will be preforming at Art All Night on June 15th -16th and can be heard at on the AutonomicDrone soundcloud page.

Rosie Langabeer - Hailed by the New York Times for her ability to time bend, Rosie Langabeer’s sound is more like a transnational emporium of amusements, than music. Using electronic and acoustic instruments ingredients of exotica, science fiction, free jazz and an evolving cast of superfluities combine, resulting in something elusively familiar “…a suspended, surreal condition.” NY Times. A regular composer for theatre and dance companies, Langabeer has performed throughout New Zealand and the US and also in Sri Lanka, Japan, Mexico, France and Great Britain, recent festival appearances include Baltimore’s High Zero Festival (2016), Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, (MA, 2016), Borderline Festival, (Auckland, 2016), Joyce Theater Ballet Festival (NY, 2015). Collaborators include Neil Feather, BalletX, Maiko Matsushima, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Andrew Mars/Settled Arrows, Kate Porter, Jeff Henderson and Chris O’Connor.

It’s Not Night: It’s Space - United as though at the behest of the cosmos itself, the members of It’s Not Night: It’s Space came together with immediate chemistry early in 2011. By October at that year, their first self-released EP, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, had been released, and the band – founded by guitarist Kevin Halcott and drummer Michael Lutomski, but by then also including bassist Tommy Guerrero – set about honing their interstellar craft over the course of regional gigs around their native quadrant of New Paltz while conducting research with the SETI for what would become their debut long-player, Bowing Not Knowing to What. It was this album that set It’s Not Night: It’s Space on the path of anti-gravity exploration, the trio of Halcott, Guerrero and Lutomski honing in on natural jams thickened and given orbital pull by dense tones and an ever-expanding wall of fuzz. Feeling that language could only limit the universal nature of their message, INNIS kept their game centered around the guitar, bass and drums, and made first contact with Small Stone Records early in 2013, who immediately offered support for their ongoing investigations. The debut cooperative effort between the two parties is scheduled for launch in the yet-undetermined future known as 2014.

November 15th Chuck van Zyl, Nocturne Blue and Centrozoon

December 3rd Brian John McBrearty, Inception and The Time Merchant 

Call for support! Your help is needed...

Friend of The Event Horizon Series (and the Rotunda at large) and the Electro-Music Community, Chef Geoff, is in dire need of our help.

Chef Geoff ahs kindly provided, over the years, food for those attending the Event Horizon Concert Series as well as many other events held at the Rotunda...for no cost to anyone...

The cost and the effort was a gift to the world...out of the kindness of his big heart.

Perhaps you might consider paying that kindess back with a little kindness of your own.

"My recent diagnosis of stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma is a bit unnerving. I'm going to need intensive radiation and chemotherapy. Hopefully , after they shrink my tumor , the doctors can cut out what is left. I'm looking at a 3 month hospital stay and 2 months bed rest at home. All that time, unfortunately won't be able to work. I could sure use some financial, emotional,and physical help. I've fed 1000's of people over the years. Now I need help to be fed. Most sincerely, Chef"

Please visit Chef Geoff's GoFundMe site and consider a generous donation.

CURIOUSAnts on a Log presents CURIOUS, a fun, feminist, eco-minded exploration of clean energy, community, and kids who have big ideas. 

Ants on a Log is Philly's favorite children's music duo! "Playing music for children and other childlike people, their spirited harmonies and clever, concise songwriting will tickle the fancies of both children and adults alike. The folksy duo write music that songfully advocates for positivity, social justice, and silliness!" -Philadelphia Folksong Society 

Funded in part by a Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grant.Sunday November 13 at 11am and 3pmSaturday November 19 at 11am

Suggested Admission is $5-20. Everyone welcome, no one turned away for lack of funds. Purchase advance tickets HERE

AntsonaLogMusic.com

CURIOUSAnts on a Log presents CURIOUS, a fun, feminist, eco-minded exploration of clean energy, community, and kids who have big ideas. 

Ants on a Log is Philly's favorite children's music duo! "Playing music for children and other childlike people, their spirited harmonies and clever, concise songwriting will tickle the fancies of both children and adults alike. The folksy duo write music that songfully advocates for positivity, social justice, and silliness!" -Philadelphia Folksong Society 

Funded in part by a Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grant.Sunday November 13 at 11am and 3pmSaturday November 19 at 11am

Suggested Admission is $5-20. Everyone welcome, no one turned away for lack of funds. Purchase advance tickets HERE

AntsonaLogMusic.com

 The Rotunda & Vision Driven Consulting are teaming up to bring resources and capacity-building workshops to self-producing artists/musicians and event curators in all disciplines.

Workshops are held: 2nd Monday of each month

6:00 – 8:00pm at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia)

All workshops in the series are FREE and OPEN to the public! Refreshments provided. 

Special guest presenters and facilitators will be announced each month.

If you want to receive workshop reminders, join Vision Driven Artists - Philadelphia, a closed Facebook group for Philadelphia-based artist/arts organizations.

http://www.visiondrivenconsulting.com/artists.html

2016 - 2017 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Developing Campus/Community Collaborations (September 12th)

• Hear stories of successful campus and community collaborations

• Learn how to find campus and community partners

• Avoid common problems and learn how to build mutually beneficial partnerships

Goal Identification & Measurement (October 10th)

• Identify what you want to achieve in your projects

• Incorporate critical feedback and self-reflection into your arts practice

• Brainstorm and receive tools for measuring success

Nonprofit, LLC, or Fiscal Sponsorship (November 14th)

• Discuss the pros and cons of various structures – pool experiences and get new ideas

• Craft your mission statement to determine the structure that best suits your practice

• Sole-proprietor, LLC, 501(c)3: understand the structures and how your projects fit into them

2017 Planning (December 12th)

• Plan your upcoming year of work 

• Identify your goals and break them into achievable tasks

• Plot your tasks on a timeline for 2016

Fundraising Basics (January 9th)

• Learn the language of fundraising 

• Maximize opportunities beyond grants to support your projects

• Brainstorm actual fundraising ideas for your work

Taxes for Artists (January 23rd)

• Learn the language of fundraising 

• Maximize opportunities beyond grants to support your projects

• Brainstorm actual fundraising ideas for your work

Grant Writing – Beginner (February 13th) 

• Demystify the language and process behind grant writing

• Receive tools for finding grants 

• Read actual grant proposals to learn common mistakes and important proposal components 

Grant Writing – Intermediate (March 13th)

• Review aspects of a strong grant proposal

• Practice writing an actual grant 

• Receive feedback on your draft proposal 

Real Budgeting for Real Work (April 10th)

• Look at sample budgets and learn how to interpret the story behind the numbers 

• Create a budget tailored to your goals for 2016

• Learn how to assemble a project budget for potential funders

Getting People to Show Up (May 8th) 

• Learn new techniques for building an audience and your ideal project participant

• Troubleshoot issues with audience development that you may have had in the past

• Identify marketing techniques to keep people showing up to your future events

Getting New Projects off the Ground (June 12th)

• Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats of a new project 

• Think through the components of your project and its goals 

• Hone in on the details of your program or project and begin a draft project plan

Crowdfunding 101 (September 11th)

• Learn how to tell if crowdfunding is right for your project

• Discover the pros and cons of  crowdfunding platforms

• Hear from a panel of artists who have run successful crowdfunding campaigns

Speaking Tech (September 25th)

• Learn what event curators and sound engineers wish you knew when arriving to a performance

• Receive sample templates of contracts, tech riders, and advance sheets

• Practice using templates with real-life examples

Setting & Measuring Goals (October 9th)

• Identify what you want to achieve in your projects

• Incorporate critical feedback and self-reflection into your arts practice

• Brainstorm and receive tools for measuring success

Event Horizon SeriesNovember 15th Chuck van Zyl, Nocturne Blue and Centrozoon

Chuck van Zyl - Best known as host of Stars End (WXPN's renowned radio program of spacemusic dreamscapes) and as coordinator of The Gatherings(Philadelphia's premiere concert series of innovative music), Chuck van Zyl has also been making his own unique style of electronic music since 1983. Over the course of his musical existence Chuck van Zyl has developed a signature exploratory style. By blending the primitive machine beauty of classics like "Ricochet" with the highly formed values of more recent groups such as Redshift and Arc, his solo studio works are the result of a persistent creativity. With a solid melodic invention, atmospheric modulations and heroic shifts in tonality, van Zyl masterfully realizes the fascinating patterns, riffs and pulses that dominate his live concerts. As the music forms, climbs and sustains, listeners are pulled into a highly distinctive mindscape. Tone patterns weave and collide as go-for-broke keyboard lead lines dance high above - while synthetic strings draw long lines across a cool digital plane. Chuck van Zyl is at home in this endlessly inventive genre, offering ample muscle for the adventurous, archaic modulations for the experimentalist and dreamy floating space for the cloudwalker.

Centrozoon is a trio that is interested in the creation of music in experimental settings. it has existed in several forms for more than fifteen years. current members are Bernhard Wöstheinrich (synthesizers, electronics), Markus Reuter (guitars, electronics) and Tobias Reber (electronics).

From the beginning of Centrozoon, the group has had an interest in "experimental" music not only in improvised sound experiments but also in the improvisation of form and structure - improvisation beyond the individual sounding moment. Music as an exploration of possibilities and extremes, playing with boundaries.

Ironically, the group's most widely acclaimed work has been its live and studio collaboration with singer Tim Bowness (No-Man), a modern pop project that was an exception to the band's usual approach. In its regular, less accessible work, the projects fearlessness in combination with its trademark deadpan humour has usually provoked very strong emotional reactions and reviews, and led to controversial discussion among electronic music lovers.

The music featured on the group's album releases include the electronica soundscapes of "blast" (2000), the disturbing free-form mayhem of "the cult of: bibbiboo" (2002), "angel liquor" (2006) or  the reduced chamber electronics of "lovefield" (2007).  2012 sees the release of "boner", another dive into unexplored territory and impossible combinations of references, where dozens of hours of music are distilled into an endlessly deep texture of frightening as well as captivating moods.

Centrozoon has played concerts and appeared live on air in the USA, UK, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Notable appearances include concerts at the Ars Electronica 2004 Festival (Linz, A), Virtual Arts Day (Helsinki, SF) and a UK Tour including performances at Burning Shed Nights (Norwich, UK).

"Humour is not permitted." - Robert Fripp

Bernhard and Markus will go into a retrospective mode for this tour, mixing their space music and experimental electronica in varying ratios, depending on the nature of the context their are performing in. Having started to perform together in 1996, this series of concert is a personal celebration of a long-term artistic collaboration.

Centrozoon is currently mostly working as a trio with Swiss member Tobias Reber, who unfortunately is not able to join us on this tour. You can see and hear the trio in action in this preview for the upcoming "Hununpenti" DVD and CD release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyplOx0uMzc

Admission is FREE but reservations are encouraged for this much-anticipated event. Reserve at https://therotunda.ticketleap.com/event-horizon-november15/ and please note that we will give away your spot that evening if you do not claim it by 7:50pm. 

Do you miss wrestling with bears? Jellyfishing? Roll Call? Can you ride in my little red wagon? Is Group C ’14 the best group of all time? Can this year’s freshman get as rowdy as you? What happened to that kid who pooped out of a tree? Have you ever wondered what’s inside The Rotunda? Do you wish you did PennQuest? Would you support a future PennQuester? 

Get your group together, pregame, and celebrate PennQuest’s 25th Anniversary by giving back! 

Connect with your group or group leader for more details. 

This event is alcohol-free. 

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pennquest-fundraiser-tickets-28489581104

In the Spring of 2010, Agent Moosehead was contacted about re-scoring a movie to perform live for the Philadelphia Film Festival. Composer, Chris Dippolito chose the 1952 drive in classic, "Attack of the Giant Leeches" and promptly got to work on music for an ensemble of eight that embodied the atmosphere and character of science fiction B movies of the era. Five months of writing and four rehearsals later the score was debuted along to the film on the main stage at The World Cafe Live. Since that night Agent Moosehead has scored other films but Leeches was their first endeavor in that arena. OnNovember 17th, 2016 they'll again be performing the music with the film at The Rotunda in West Philadelphia featuring musicians from their current lineup.

Bowerbird is pleased to present a screening of Shirley Clarke's 1985 film "Ornette: Made in America". 

"Ornette: Made In America" captures Ornette's evolution over three decades. Returning home to Fort Worth, Texas in 1983 as a famed performer and composer, documentary footage, dramatic scenes, and some of the first music video-style segments ever made, chronicle his boyhood in segregated Texas and his subsequent emergence as an American cultural pioneer and world-class icon. Among those who contribute to the film include William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Buckminster Fuller, Don Cherry, Yoko Ono, Charlie Haden, Robert Palmer, Jayne Cortez and John Rockwell. 

"Ornette: Made In America" is essential for anyone hoping to understand the history of jazz and the fertile creative exchange that highlighted the 60's and 70's in America. It is a portrayal of the inner life of an artist-innovator. 

The innovative techniques that director Shirley Clarke and producer Kathelin Hoffman employed in this film very closely parallel the music of the man who is its subject. Clarke defied traditional documentary formats to reveal Ornette's extraordinary vision through her equally extraordinary filmmaking artistry. 

Critically acclaimed when it released in 1985, the film is even more significant today, as Coleman's influence has increased, while Clarke and Hoffman's interpretation of his life and times remain as fresh and exciting as ever. 

The film focuses on the struggles and triumphs of Ornette Coleman's life as well as on the inspired intelligence that spawned his creativity and ensured his success. Clarke's footage includes Ornette in conversation with family and friends; excerpts of interviews, riffs and travels, along with footage of his performances-in his hometown of Fort Worth, TX, in New York, in Morocco and beyond - presents the most comprehensive record of his career available.

Admission is FREE

CURIOUSAnts on a Log presents CURIOUS, a fun, feminist, eco-minded exploration of clean energy, community, and kids who have big ideas. 

Ants on a Log is Philly's favorite children's music duo! "Playing music for children and other childlike people, their spirited harmonies and clever, concise songwriting will tickle the fancies of both children and adults alike. The folksy duo write music that songfully advocates for positivity, social justice, and silliness!" -Philadelphia Folksong Society 

Funded in part by a Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grant.Sunday November 13 at 11am and 3pmSaturday November 19 at 11am

Suggested Admission is $5-20. Everyone welcome, no one turned away for lack of funds. Purchase advance tickets HERE

AntsonaLogMusic.com

Come to this celebration of self expression! ALL ARE WELCOME TO Sign up in the comments section on this page to walk the cat walk and show off your unique irresistible style. No Rules Fashion! Bring clothes for swapping. Bring clothes to adorn at the clothes adornment area (Stencils, patches, etc.) This event is a fundraiser for art programs for Seniors. This event is open to people of all ages.

The Secret Cinema brings CREEPY PUPPET FILMS to The Rotunda! 

Puppetry is an age-old artform that has charmed and delighted both children and adults for countless generations. And, puppets have been a source of inspiration to filmmakers almost since the movies began.

So why do puppets become so...CREEPY, when filmed and projected on a giant screen?

On Saturday, November 26, the Secret Cinema will attempt to answer that question -- or at least show our favorite examples of this peculiar genre of cinema -- when we present CREEPY PUPPET FILMS at the Rotunda. Using assorted educational and entertainment shorts from past decades, we'll show films using hand puppets, marionettes, and stop-motion animated figures and claymation. Some were made by great masters of special effects like George Pal and Ray Harryhausen. Others were made by nameless hacks for forgotten educational film mills. Yet, they are ALL CREEPY.

Secret Cinema originally presented CREEPY PUPPET FILMS seven years ago, almost to the date (and we showed it one more time, more recently, at New York's Anthology Film Archives).

There will be one complete screening starting at 8:00 pm. Admission is $8.00.

All Secret Cinema presentations are shown using 16mm film (not video, not digital) projected on a giant screen.

A few highlights of CREEPY PUPPET FILMS include:

HANSEL AND GRETEL (1951, Dir: Ray Harryhausen) - This early work from stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen was from a series of animated fairy tale shorts in which he explored the techniques he would soon perfect in features like JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. Harryhausen began his experimentation as a teenager, shortly after being entranced by Willis O'Brien's pioneering special effects in KING KONG.

GEORGE PAL PUPPETOON (1940s, Dir: George Pal) - George Pal's "Puppetoon" shorts showed a brilliant imagination and flawless stop-motion technique. We'll show an example from this oft-overlooked series, from the Hungarian animator who went on to create sci-fi feature film classics like WAR OF THE WORLDS.

MAKING CHANGE (1970s, Dir: Unknown) - From the sublime to the hackneyed-beyond-belief: This short was made during the peak sales years of the 16mm educational film industry. It employs the crudest of stick puppets to teach money math skills to grade school kids.

GUMBY: HOT ROD GRANNY (1957, Dir: Art Clokey) - Claymation superstar Gumby encounters a speed crazed senior citizen racing an animated plastic model kit roadster around the town.

PIRRO AND THE SCALE (1948, Dir: Alvin J. Gordon) - Marionette clown Pirro imparts a valuable lesson on weight and measurement. A 1951 guide book for teachers thought that "Pat Patterson, who created and manipulates the puppet, provides the running commentary, which is warm and pleasant at its best, at worst too nervously repetitive." That's part right.

...and much, much more!

SECRET CINEMA WEBSITE: http://www.thesecretcinema.com

Admission: $8.00

Please join us for a vegan potluck just like the super fun ones we have hosted here in the past! 

Children are welcome! We can accommodate dozens of folks and really want to encourage you to bring guests as well as meet new people. 

Please bring a small vegan dish of your choosing, a card or sheet of paper listing your ingredients, and a serving utensil.  Vegan food uses no animal ingredients so please make sure your dish does not contain dairy milk/cream/yogurt/cheese (vegan versions of all of these can be found at stores or made at home!), whey, meat, eggs, honey, etc. 

Just a couple of notes: The Rotunda doesn't have a kitchen, so please bring your dishes ready to serve. We won't be able to heat up anything, freeze anything, etc. We also can't guarantee enough outlets for crock pots and the like. In addition, The Rotunda will provide disposable or compostable plates, forks, knives, spoons, cups, and napkins but you're more than welcome to bring your own reusables! 

Admission is FREE; we will be accepting free-will/totally optional donations for a local animal advocacy group. Again, donations are totally optional.