11Reflections: San Francisco

11 Reflections: San Francisco is part of a new national series of performance works, Eleven Reflections on the Nation, devised by Andrea Assaf and featuring acclaimed Syrian opera singer Lubana al Quntar & Turkish composer and violinist, Eylem Basaldi. The project draws on Andrea Assaf’s seminal work, Eleven Reflections on September, an episodic, multimedia performance on Arab American identity, Wars on/of Terror, and “the constant, quiet rain of death / amidst beauty” in a post-9/11 world. In each participating city, the project engages local artists and community members who have been affected by post-9/11 policies to contribute their stories, illuminating our collective experiences since 2001—from the fall of the Twin Towers, to the U.S. wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Muslim Ban, and now to the funding of genocide in Palestine. 11 Reflections: San Francisco invites Southwest/Central Asian and North African (SWANA), Middle Eastern/North African/South Asian (MENASA), and Muslim American artists, BIPOC artists and allies, and impacted communities in the Bay Area to participate in Story Circles, workshops, creative writing, and theatre-making in response to the question: What has the impact of the post-9/11 era been in your city, and how does it connect to what’s happening today?

Co-Produced by Golden Thread Productions, Brava for Women in the Arts, and Art2Action, in collaboration with Aviva Arts and Red Poppy Art House. 

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & EVENTS: 

Community Story Circle @ Brava, Presented by Aviva Arts: Monday, May 13, 6-9pm | RSVP HERE

Community Story Circle @ Red Poppy Art House: Thursday, May 16, 5:30-8:30pm | RSVP HERE

11Reflections: San Francisco

October 4 & 5, 2024 @ BRAVA

GET TICKETS HERE

Previous Residencies:

On March 8, 2023, Golden Thread Productions' annual celebration What Do the Women Say? featured the theme "Fighters for Freedom" in 2023, aligning with the International Women’s Day global theme #EmbraceEquity. Art2Action artists Andrea Assaf and Lubana Al Quntar performed this woman, this sea from Eleven Reflections on September, and devised a new collaborative piece with Bay Area artists Rahaf Abuobeid, Alaa Ibrahim, Nida Khalil, Mahjabin Khanzada, and Layle Omeran. 

Our September 2022 residency at BRAVA! For Women in the Arts included Eleven Reflections on September: Film Screening & Dialogue at the Brava Theatre Center Cabaret, partnership building with Bay Area organizers and arts leaders, and a Story Circle for SWANA/MENASA community members. We were thrilled that Golden Thread Productions joined the project as a co-producer!

Not in the San Francisco Bay Area, but want to participate? You can share your story or creative reflections with Art2Action and the Arab American National Museum archive: SUBMIT A VIDEO HERE! 

To learn more about the national series, follow #11Reflections on social media!