Across different places and artistic practices, artists are opening spaces for collective experimentation, exchange and expression. In Xi’an, China, a five-day residency brings together Tuvan vocal traditions, drawing and experimental music. In Perth, Australia, a new theatre production gives voice to young people facing the emotional and political realities of the climate crisis. Both projects approach artistic practice as a way of bringing people together and working through questions that reach beyond the workshop or the stage.
Sound, drawing and collective improvisation in Xi’an
In Xi’an, the independent collective Time Musical Workshop, directed by cultural curator Jian Chao, is organising a five-day artistic residency with Tuvan singer and experimental musician Sainkho Namtchylak. Taking place at Yuehua Live, in the historic town of Doukouzhen, the workshop combines vocal experimentation, drawing and group improvisation. Time Musical Workshop describes its work as a form of artistic and somatic education that brings professional artists and beginners into a shared learning environment.
Namtchylak is known for bringing the vocal traditions of Tuva, a republic in southern Siberia, into dialogue with experimental music, free jazz and electronic sound. Her practice explores the possibilities of the human voice, moving between deep vocal registers, overtones and sounds that extend beyond conventional singing. Participants will explore these techniques through direct practice. The workshop also introduces drawing as a way of recording and translating sound. Working with ink on large silk scrolls, participants respond visually to the movement and vibration of their voices. These drawings then become visual scores for group improvisation.
Yuehua Live is a hybrid venue for experimental music and interdisciplinary artistic practices on the outskirts of Xi’an. The city's historical position at the eastern end of the Silk Road adds another dimension to the encounter, bringing a contemporary vocal practice rooted in Tuva into dialogue with a place shaped by centuries of exchange between regions and cultures. Learn more →
Theatre and collective imagination in Perth
In Perth, the independent Blue Joy Theatre Company will premiere We Are Blooming, a 70-minute production written and directed by Nigerian-Australian multidisciplinary artist Mohammed ‘Ayo’ Busari. The company describes it as “a poetic theatre piece about growing up with an uncertain future, finding hope through collective action, creativity and care.” Performed by Hannah-Mary Anderson, Shelby McKenzie and Sanna Ansaldo, the work brings together spoken-word poetry, choral testimonies, chants and the dynamics of collective protest. It explores climate anxiety, ecological grief and the pressures young people face as they imagine a liveable future.
Originally developed within the youth programme of the Western Australian Youth Theatre Company (WAYTCo), We Are Blooming approaches creativity and mutual care as ways of responding to uncertainty and environmental loss, while building solidarity across generations.
Founded in Boorloo (Perth) in 2025 by Busari, in collaboration with music incubator Mobus Entertainment, Blue Joy Theatre Co. supports storytellers from diverse cultural backgrounds, neurodivergent artists and emerging performers. Learn more →
Palestinian stories in Taipei
In Taipei, Taiwan, Palestine Cinema Days Around the World, organised by Filmlab Palestine, presents two screenings at Halfway Cafe 半路咖啡 on 3 November. At 3 pm, audiences can watch Return to Haifa, followed by Foragers at 7 pm. Bringing these two films together, the programme offers an opportunity to encounter Palestinian stories and perspectives through cinema, as part of an international initiative connecting audiences across borders. Explore Palestine Cinema Days Around the World.
You can join in too
You can join in too. Put yourself on the map, share your art or list your November event. Free practical guides are available on the Global Artivism website. From 3 to 7 November, the Global Artivism Convening begins. Hosting something this November? Put it on the map.
