New works added to the programme: Brownton Abbey, Public Selfcare System, and works by Aalto University students

Brownton Abbey (UK)
Brownton Abbey is the Afrofuturistic, Space-Church themed performance party that centres, celebrates and elevates disabled queer people of colour. Brownton Abbey merges stunning political performances, throbbing dance beats, hypnotic visuals and otherworldly decor within a decadent setting.

Collectively we manifest queer joy, creating a safe space where difference is deified not demonised, ushering in transcendence and exalted states of consciousness and connectedness.

Brownton Abbey was conceived through conversations between lead artist Tarik Elmoutawakil, and a constellation of queer black and brown disabled creatives and activists. We recognised the trials and tribulations of having marginalised identities on the stage and in the audience – being too queer for one place and not white enough for another or too disabled for them all, and the pitfalls of performing with all of these marginalisations combined. Tarik is plugged into a network of disabled QTIPOC artivists across the globe, contributing to an ongoing movement to reshape access and leadership.

Brownton Abbey happens at the ANTI Festival on Saturday, September 14, from 8 PM to midnight. Read more.

Rhiannon Armstrong (UK/CAN): Public Selfcare System
Public Selfcare System is a one-to-one performance, a tandem jump into the unknown, a direct action, and a masterclass in the radical act of stopping. As part of the performance there will be a short walk and we will lie down on the ground in the urban environment. A performance first conceived by Rhiannon Armstrong in 2016, Public Selfcare System in 2024 considers who is and is not allowed to rest and where, and what resting as an act of solidarity might mean. Read more.

Aalto University Students’ Projects
Students from Aalto University’s Department of Art and Media will once again present projects, interventions, performances, or exhibitions in public spaces during the ANTI Festival. The collection of public art projects by Aalto University students is part of the long-term collaboration between the ANTI Festival and Aalto University, where the festival serves as a platform for artistic research. This year, students will bring to the ANTI Festival a workshop approaching urban space through different senses, a communal work exploring the sense of home in urban space, and an interactive performance focused on collective drawing. Read more.