The Moveable Feast is a nomadic event that brings artists from a variety of genres together to share their work in a welcoming environment. It is a "party on the move with an ever-changing menu". Each "feast" features a balanced selection of original artistic performances and manifestations designed for a stimulating, healthy digestion. Artistic genres include Music, Dance, Comedy, Theater, Film/Video, Prose/Poetry, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Interactive Arts and more.
The first season of The Moveable Feast was initiated on February 18, 2006 with a gathering of 40 people in an East Harlem apartment. This Sneak Preview was an overwhelming success. Musical performances included songs by Agua Trip and Tones from the Underground, a collaborative jam piece performed jointly by the two groups, and satirical performances featuring the Feast's MC Roberto Carrasco. The Sneak Preview also featured dance performances & poetry by Kyla Barkin, a stand-up comedy routine by Roberto Carrasco, paintings by Erin Laubenheimer, and a short narrative by Dalan Hurst, performed by Esther L Kim.
One of the key features of this Feast was the initiation of the JAMSCAPE, a collaborative, improvisational performance piece that invites the entire audience to participate. The Jamscape is different at every Feast: sometimes a singing-dancing jam, sometimes a collective poem, and sometimes a musical jam. It's great to watch the audience transform from the beginning of the Jamscape to its end. The Jamscape epitomizes the spirit of The Moveable Feast as a collaborative showcase. Another signature piece is the "word/art wall" where everyone can write or draw what they please. The resulting collages are art pieces in themselves, as well as glimpses into the vibe of each Feast (like a scrapbook).
The excitement created by the Sneak Preview continued to grow in anticipation of the first "official" Moveable Feast, the Midnight Snack on March 25. Over 160 people crammed in Center Stage to participate in the Midnight Snack which featured 12 musical, dance, and poetry performances along with a wide display of sketches, mixed media, and projections. On April 22, The Moveable Feast presented an equally charged feast called Pick-up-Sticks -- also at Center Stage -- to a smaller, more intimate crowd of 50 people, reminiscent of the Sneak Preview. The fourth & final Feast of the 2006 season, Accidental Wilderness, took place at the LES Gallery of the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, ending in an unforgettable hour-long jam session. Over all, the Moveable Feast's first season was a success, due to it's motivated participating artists and their performances and manifestations.
The Moveable Feast has proven to be a fruitful forum for artists both internally and externally. Painter and street artist Jimmy Juice sold all of his paintings at the Midnight Snack. After seeing the performance of Tones from the Underground at Pick-up-Sticks, a French filmmaker decided to use their music for a new documentary film. Agua Trip went on to perform at the Annual benefit for Isabel Gotskowsky and Friends' Dance Company. Musicians have also been approached by sound engineers for recording projects.
To this day, people continue to approach us, asking when the next Moveable Feast will take place. Soon, their prayers will be answered. There are new Moveable Feasts currently on the agenda for the summer and early fall of 2007. The Moveable Feast has grown significantly, both as a community of artists and a friendly, creative space. It is so much more than a showcase or a salon. It is a place where artists collaborate, exchange ideas, support each other, and celebrate. It is a party on the move. So, keep an eye out for the emergence of Moveable Feasts on the West Coast, in Brazil, in Holland, in Mexico, and the North Pole, and of course, in NYC.