Poetics of Place weaves together poetry, live music, dance, and cultural fusion to explore resilience, memory, and belonging in North Lawndale. From powerful spoken word to soul-stirring performances and a klezmer–hip hop collaboration, the program invites audiences into an immersive afternoon of sound, story, and movement. Together, these performances transform the sukkahs into living stages of solidarity and creative expression.
This event is presented in partnership with the Chicago Humanities, featuring an opening poem by Marvin Tate, a performance by Zeshan B, melodies by klezmer musician Hannah Mira Friedland. Savera Iftikhar will create a live painting during the event that reflects our mission and vision of building third spaces where diverse communities gather, create, and envision just futures.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Zeshan B is a Billboard Top 10 and iTunes #1 singer, songwriter and bandleader blending American soul and South Asian traditions. His acclaimed albums—Vetted, Melismatic, and O Say, Can You See (executive produced by Preet Bharara)—have earned praise from Rolling Stone, NPR, MSNBC, Variety, and The New York Times, and led to performances at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Bonnaroo, Sundance, the Blue Note, and the White House for Presidents Obama and Carter. A three-time guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Zeshan’s work has appeared on PBS, CNN, and MSNBC; his single “Brown Power” was used by Biden’s 2020 campaign. He has held residencies at Lincoln Center and the Doris Duke Shangri-La Museum, using music for cross-cultural dialogue and social justice.
Hannah Mira Friedland is a fiddler, violist, Yiddish dance leader, and cultural worker in Chicago. Raised in a family of musicians, she studied classical violin and viola before falling in love with traditional folk music and dance. Hannah Mira graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she studied music, geography, and religious studies. She is a co-founder of the Upshtat Zingerai Klezmer Band, which has emerged as a central force in the continuity and evolution of klezmer music and Yiddish dance – the traditional music and dance of Eastern European Jews – in Chicago. She regularly participates in the KlezKanada festival, an international hub for Yiddish arts and culture, and has been awarded KlezKanada’s Azrieli Scholarship. Hannah Mira has learned traditional music and dance with master teachers including Alicia Svigals, Abigale Reisman, Michael Alpert, Avia Moore, Alasdair Fraser, Alex Koffman, Kurt Bjorling, and Sowah Mensah. Recent Upshtat Zingerai performances include Tantshoyz: A Klezmer Music and Yiddish Dance Series at Clara in Wicker Park, klezmer concerts hosted by local organizations, and artist markets, a Purim Tantshoyz and Cabaret at Color Club, a KLEZTRONICA collaboration with DJ Chaia, and music for many joyful weddings, b’nai mitzvah celebrations, birthday concerts, and parties.
Marvin Tate is a self-taught, multidisciplinary artist, community activist, and art educator. Marvin has performed and recorded with Mike Reed’s “Flesh & Bone” in Poznan, Poland and at New York City’s Vision Fest 2016. His innovative style of spoken word and improvisation landed him a spot in the 2016 Hyde Park Jazz Festival. He recently collaborated with the French avant-garde composer and videographer Christophe Harvard and recorded “The Process” with the sound artist Joseph Clayton Mills. In addition to performing, Tate is also a noted poet/author and visual artist. In 2014 he was awarded a grant by the Poetry Foundation and the Prisoner Neighborhood Arts Program to teach poetry in the Statesville Correctional Center for adult men. His work as a performer stretches back nearly thirty years. Tate’s aim is to empower and build small communities within larger communities, to work as an agent for long-term change, and to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots by introducing underserved communities to recyclable art and singing in public spaces. Marvin grew up on the West side of Chicago and is invested in engaging youth from this area in artistic processes, specifically music, singing, and songwriting.
Savera Iftikhar is a Visual Artist, Art Educator and Art Therapist whose creative journey transcends traditional boundaries. While her studio practice primarily revolves around drawing, Savera fearlessly dives into various mediums, constantly pushing artistic limits while her fascination with the intricacies of the human experience continuously informs her work. In her studio and beyond, Savera is on a mission to connect and tell stories. Continuing to collaborate with others while empowering them and herself to share their narratives with the world, Savera hopes to continue on her artistic odyssey - where each stroke of her pencil, every creative endeavor and connection becomes an integral chapter in a lifelong tale waiting to be unveiled.
Stick around after the event and join our Neighborhood Bike Tour and/or our annual Interfaith Dinner (RSVP Required).