2017: Tender Nights
PERFORMANCE AND MEDIA WALKS THROUGH THE TENDERLOIN WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
2017: Tender Nights
PERFORMANCE AND MEDIA WALKS THROUGH THE TENDERLOIN WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
May 25-27, 2017
THIS IS WHAT I WANT 2017 found itself at the explosive intersection of desire and youth stories. Set in the Tenderloin, the artists will take your hand and walk out into the evening to engage with themes of gentrification, tender desire, psychogeography, private space, public space, the internal lives of young people, and queer sexuality. The eighth annual Bay Area THIS IS WHAT I WANT festival partnered with ABD productions/Skywatchers, Larkin Street Youth Center and local youth artists based in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco to reveal their personal landscape of desire.
Artistic Director Tessa Wills. Lead Artists Krista DeNio and Jaime Cortez. Sound Artist Zachary Watkins. Mapmaker Taraneh Hemami. Participating artists Jose Abad, Sammay Dizon, Randy Reyes, Jaq Nguyen Victor, Tavi and Angeline. Project manager Lucy Tafler. Players: ABD Productions/Skywatchers, CounterPulse, Larkin Street Youth Center.
Read more about the artists here thisiswhatiwantfestival.com/artists-2017
2016: The line between private and public
The line between private and public
2016: The line between private and public
The line between private and public
THIS IS WHAT I WANT 2016 runs from the 7th to the 12th of June 2016 at the Fort Mason Center for the Arts.
The theme for year seven of the bay area annual festival of performances about desire is: The line between private and public.
What ways is the division of private and public space useful for us as individuals, and what ways does it keep us constrained or separated? What economic or cultural forces motivate the separation of those spheres in our culture, and what power of negotiation or resistance do we have to transgress? Are there ways in which we are expected to mine our personal private worlds of interpersonal and private symbolic meanings for public productivity in ways which deplete us? Do our private worlds bring generativity? And if so, why is it so scary to be alone sometimes?
THIS IS WHAT I WANT 2016: the line between private and public brings you Two newly commissioned performances from Crystal Mason, Tessa Wills with participatory pieces from Cristina Victor, Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens. We also offer The TIWIW Unconference 'the future of sex and social change by any dance necessary'; a site to engage with sustainability and lineage. THIS IS WHAT I WANT is proud to collaborate with RADAR productions this year, for a cosy night with stories of queer intimacy. This year looks to explore queer desire within the historicization of the 2016 Fort Mason site centering the complications of racialized desire, perceptions of isolation, and you.
Come to all or any of our six events plus a magical bus ride to get up there
Artists ↓
2015: Hidden Desires
2015: Hidden Desires
FESTIVAL EVENTS
THIS IS WHAT I WANT 2015 presents a performance night and a symposium to discuss the triple bill of artists showing hidden desires, unseen voices and invisible body parts.
FESTIVAL ARTISTS
CRISTINA VICTOR, GIGI OTÁLVARO-HORMILLOSA and JASON WYMAN
Festival Storytellers
Ferrara Brain, Pavini Moray, Erich Eich, Thom Vee, Trouve Ivo, Tiara Paedia, Devin, Elizabeth Cooper, Captain, Jess Zita Bennett & Cindy Dewitt
Led & guided by TIWIW artistic director, Tessa Wills. Click here for more information about the storytellers.
FESTIVAL TEAM
Artistic Director: Tessa Wills
Guest Curator: crystal am nelson
Co-producer: Elizabeth Cooper
Intern: Jessica Zita Bennett
Co-presented with: CounterPulse
fiscally sponsored by Dancers' Group
FUNDED BY THE ZELLERBACH FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE,
RAINBOW GROCERY, AND THREE ANONYMOUS DONORS
2014: Desire and The Gaze
2014: Desire and The Gaze
FESTIVAL EVENTS
2014'S THEME IS THE GAZE. DESIRE IS CALLING. COME AND GAZE LIKE NOBODY IS WATCHING.
WE HOSTED 8 EVENTS OVER 21 DAYS, CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION ON DESIRE THROUGH A FILM NIGHT, WORKSHOPS, A SYMPOSIUM, DISCUSSIONS, A SOLO AND A NIGHT OF INTERACTIVE IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE.
THE DOLLHOUSE AT 80 TURK STREET A SITE-SPECIFIC, IMMERSIVE night of PERFORMANCEs by female-identified artists about desire and the gaze IN AN OLD PORN BUILDING. we hosted TWO THEMED NIGHTS, A FEMALE-IDENTIFIED AUDIENCE ONLY NIGHT AND A CLOTHING OPTIONAL / “NAKED” NIGHT WHERE PEOPLE PAID PER ARTICLE OF CLOTHING AND NUDITY WAS WELCOME.
FILM FESTIVAL CURATED BY PETER MAX LAWRENCE AT THE CENTER FOR SEX AND CULTURE
OIL ACTION (COMMUNITY SOMATIC EXPERIENCE) BY KEITH HENNESSY AT THE CENTER FOR SEX AND CULTURE
FEMINISM AND THE GAZE (COMMUNITY DISCUSSION) WITH SALTA AT THE UNDERGROUND YOGA PARLOUR
PILLARS OF SALT (SYMPOSIUM ON THE GAZE) LED BY JOY BROOKE FAIRFIELD AT 80 TURK ST
PENETRATIVE GAYZE: RE-IMAGINING THE QUEER COCK (WORKSHOP) FACILITATED BY TT BAUM AT 80 TURK ST
EXPLODING. PSYCHO. DIAGNOSTIK. (WORKSHOP) FACILITATED BY PHOEBE OSBORNE AT 80 TURK STREET
Festival Artists
CORE ARTISTS: MARA POLIAK · TESSA WILLS , MARYANNA LACHMAN · MINNA HARRI · PETER MAX LAWRENCE ·CINDY DEWIT · ELIZABETH COOPER ·PHOEBE OSBORNE · RONJA VER · TT BAUM · VK PRESTON
MORE ARTISTS: CORAL SHORT, CRYSTAL am NELSON, clement GOLDBERG, JULZ HALE MARY, KEITH HENNESSY, KOLMEL WITHLOVE, LAURA HYUNJHEE KIM, NICO PECK, JOY BROOKE FAIRFIELD, SALTA, SHELTON RICHARD NIXON LINDSAY, THE LOST SEASON, TOM MARSHMAN, MALIC AMAYLA, PHILIP HUANG, SKYE THORSTENSON, toban nichols, christeene, pj raval chelsea america, zebra katz( aka ojay morgan), Jonathon Caouette, Nico peck, cassils
Photographers: MARK MCBETH , MOLLY DECOUDREAUX , LYDIA DANILLER, PAT MAZZARA, MEG ALLEN, CHANI BOCKWINKEL AND MICHELLE MORBY
FESTIVAL TEAM
ARTISTICally DIRECTed and produced by: TESSA WILLS
PRODUCED WITH: ELIZABETH COOPER
DESIGN BY: Peter Max Lawrence
SATELLITE EVENTS BY: PETER MAX LAWRENCE, SALTA, KEITH HENNESSY, TT BAUM AND PHOEBE OSBORNE
THINKERS IN RESIDENCE: JOY BROOKE FAIRFIELD AND SHELTON LINDSAY
CO-PRESENTED WITH: COUNTERPULSE & THE CENTER FOR SEX AND CULTURE
PRODUCTION SUPPORT: LOLO FERNANDEZ & CINDY DEWITT
TIWIW 2014 FEATURED AN IMMERSIVE THEATRE EXPERIENCE IN COUNTERPULSE’S NEW BUILDING ‘THE DOLLHOUSE’ AT 80 TURK STREET, AND FRINGE EVENTS AT THE CENTER FOR SEX AND CULTURE AND THE UNDERGROUND YOGA PARLOUR. WE AIMED TO CONTINUE TO THE FESTIVAL’S MOMENTUM AND LEGACY IN ITS FIFTH YEAR BY REACHING A BROADER AUDIENCE, PAYING OUR ARTISTS, AND CONTINUING TO TAKE RISKS IN THE WAY THAT WE ENGAGE OUR AUDIENCES THROUGH PARTICIPATION AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES.
click here to find out more
2013: Sex On The Internet
2013: Sex On The Internet
FESTIVAL EVENTS
LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM A HOTEL ROOM VIA WEBCAM FOR ONLINE AUDIENCE ONLY. PERFORMANCES IN SAN FRANCISCO, BRISTOL, MASSACHUSETTS, LOS ANGELES
Festival ARTISTS
TOM MARSHMAN, TT BAUM, EMILY SOUTER JOHNSON, TESSA WILLS, RACHAEL DICHTER, PETER MAX LAWRENCE, MINNA HARRI, RAFAEL ESPARZA, SOFIA SENNA, ELANOR CLARE
FESTIVAL TEAM
ARTISTICALLY DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY: TESSA WILLS
THINKERS IN RESIDENCE: DINO DINCO AND MACKLIN KOWAL
PRODUCTION SUPPORT: ELIZABETH COOPER, KAT COLE, JUSTIN MORRISON WITH ALEC WHITE, SHELTON RICHARD NIXON LINDSAY AND TESSA FLEMMING.
2013 THE FESTIVAL WENT INTERNATIONAL, STREAMED LIVE FROM TWO CONTINENTS AND FOUR LOCATIONS. TESSA WILLS CONTINUED ITS ARTISTIC DIRECTION AND CHOSE AN ONLINE PLATFORM TO REACH BROADER AUDIENCES. THE COMMUNITY FUNDED IT THROUGH AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN AND 300 PEOPLE WATCHED IT.
FIND OUT MORE AT http://thisiswhatiwant2013.com
2012: Economies of Desire
2012: Economies of Desire
EVENTS
SLOW SEX SYMPOSIA: CREATED BY DORAN GEORGE. HOSTED BY CAROL QUEEN AND JIM SELF WITH DOSSIE EASTON, JOE KRAMER, SADIE LUNE, DAVEND, RAFAEL ESPARZA, SARA KRAFT. DOCUMENTATION BY MARK MACBETH.
CHARGE - PARTICIPATORY EVENT: (A HANDS ON PARTICIPATORY ARTS EXPERIENCE BY TESSA WILLS, DIRECTED BY TT BAUM).
festival ARTISTS
DIADEAR, MABEL NEGRETE, MICA SIGOURNEY, NICK DURAN, JMY JAMES KIDD, RAFAEL ESPARZA, SARA KRAFT, TAISHA PAGGETT, DAVEND.
FESTIVAL TEAM
Artistically produced and Directed by: Tessa Wills
co-Produced by: TT Baum, Ernesto Soppranni, Kat Cole, Tessa Wills and Rachael Dichter
guest curators: Rachael Dichter, Jesse Hewit, Tessa Wills, Anna Martine Whitehead, Doran George
CO-PRESENTED WITH: THEOFFCENTER, SOMArts and the Center for Sex and Culture
In 2012, Tessa Wills was invited to take over artistic direction of the festival.THE FESTIVAL WAS PRODUCED IN A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THEOFFCENTER, RACHAEL DICHTER, SOMArts and the Center for Sex and Culture. THE FESTIVAL WAS a four-night run with eight artists and two different programs, for which we had an audience of about four hundred. In addition, THERE WAS a symposium and one participatory immersive art experience at the Center for Sex and Culture. This represented a significant increase in visibility of the festival and led to a special edition of Dance Theatre Journal that used the festival as a lens to investigate radical sex and performance.
find out more at www.whatiwantfestival.com/tiwiw-2012/
TIWIW 2011
TIWIW 2011
FESTIVAL Artists
JASON TORRES HANCOCK, anna martine whitehead, xandra ibarra, annie danger, harold burns, tessa wills, mica sigourney, monique jenkinson, dacia holliday, chase joint, kevin seaman, ben mccoy, the lady ms vagina jenkins
festival team
ARTISTICally directed and produced by: JESSE HEWIT
co- PRODUCED BY: RACHAEL DICHTER, THE OFFCENTER (Ernesto Sopprani), Andrew Packard, Joe Landini, wolfgang wachalowsky
guest curators: jiz lee, KEITH HENNESSY, AND MICHELLE TEA
CO-PRESENTED WITH: SOMARTS AND THE GARAGE
Find out more at http://www.whatiwantfestival.com/tiwiw-2011-festival/
TIWIW 2010
TIWIW 2010
festival artists
M.A Brooks, PAIGE STARLING SORVILLO, QUILO MATZEN, KIRA KIRSCH, HANA LEE ERDMAN, MACKLIN KOWAL, KEITH HENNESSY, ANNA MARTINE WHITEHEAD, EM GIFT, EVAN JOHNSON, JESS CURTIS, JULIE PHELPS, KEGAN MARLING, MARYAM FARNAZ ROSTAMI, RYAN CROWDER, MICA SIGOURNEY
FESTIVAL team
ARTISTICALLY DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY: Jesse Hewit
GUEST CURATORS: JIZ LEE, KEITH HENNESSY, RACHaEL DICHTER AND MICHELLE TEA
CO-PRESENTED WITH: The Garage, THEOFFCENTER and SOMArts
PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ernesto Sopprani, Rachael Dichter, Joe Landini, Andrew Packard
THIS IS WHAT I WANT started small. Joe Landini (of The Garage) asked Jesse Hewit to curate a weekend of dance for the National Queer Arts Festival. Jesse decided to curate a night based on his experience of the richness of San Francisco’s sex/art culture and put a call out for “new works that engage with edges of explaining and embodying [artists’] sexual desires, creatively and performatively.”
In his article about the history of the festival, Jesse describes that: “The whole thing was more a wobbly little baby goat, just taking its first gallops around the yard… but way sexier.” He says the “audience seemed grateful and affected, and there was a strange and destabilising energy in the room, due to the content of the performances.”