2020 ACF | Create awarded Mary Prescott joins ACF Equity Study with a series about the progress of her project “Tida”. The discussions will be focused on themes of isolation, oral traditions, and food.
Tida weaves music, storytelling, movement, and film into an hour-long performance exploring maternal lineage and intergenerational cultural identity. I investigate my mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as an immigrant raising biracial children in the Midwest, and the resulting impact of her choices on three generations of women. Researched through interviews and ancestral oral histories, Tida recovers and preserves the unrecorded legacy of a common Thai family, recognizes the value of inherited cultural identity and the costs of assimilation. Intertwining Thai and Western elements, Tida reflects an untangling and crossing of cultures, resonances, and dissonances that occur as a result.
Isolation: How the pandemic helped me understand my Mom’s immigrant experience.
March 10, 4 PM CT
Identity: How oral traditions preserve our sense of self.
June 9, 4 PM CT
Food: How a family recipe sparked togetherness, and new pathways of research
December 8, 4 PM CT
Register in advance on zoom here.
Mary Prescott is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
If you require an interpreter, closed-captioning, or any other accommodations to fully engage, please contact Dameun Strange (dstrange@composersforum) at least 48 hours before the event.