About
Intervention is the third performance work created for jumatatu m. poe and Jermone Donte Beacham’s Let ‘im Move You series. In this work, jumatatu and William Robinson formatted their work, Let ‘im Move You: This Is a Success into a street intervention, first performed three times in three separate locations in Philadelphia on Sunday, June 26, 2016. The three locations were: 5th & Luzerne Streets, Germantown Avenue & Haines Street, and 52nd Street & Baltimore Avenue (documented here). On June 12, 2016, 49 people were murdered, 50 injured at Pulse NightClub in Orlando, FL. Pulse is a queer night club and the night of the murders was their Latin night, highlighting area drag and transgender performers. The spilling of water (symbolic alcohol) is a theatrical libation (a drink poured in offering) for those murdered.
Production History
2017 – Installed in the Mussurunga neighborhood of Salvador; performed with 10 artists based in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
2016 – Installed at three separate locations: 52nd Street & Baltimore Avenue, 5th & Luzerne Streets, and Germantown Avenue & Haines Street. Philadelphia
Project Credits
artistic direction by jumatatu m. poe
choreography by jumatatu m. poe, with additional material from Jermone Donte Beacham
performance by jumatatu m. poe and William Robinson
sound design by jumatatu m. poe with music by James Blake, Dondria, Michael Jackson, and Prince
Captured from video footage shot by Mjumbe Poe
Thank Yous
Immense gratitude to Corey Mark and Mjumbe Poe who accompanied the artists for the Philadelphia performances, and to Max Henrique and Precious Lovell who accompanied for the Salvador performances, encouraging support and honest seeing.
Creation Budget
About the series Let ‘im Move You
Let ‘im Move You is a series born from the artistic relationship between artists jumatatu m. poe and Jermone “Donte” Beacham. The series centralizes J-Sette performance form and culture to address the artists’ search for satisfaction and subversion within J-Sette’s team-oriented call-and-response structure. While the artists see performance as an opportunity to communicate across various cultural distinctions, they see their work as chiefly in conversation with other Black queer alien artists.
