Pantomime, Performance Art, and Black Feminism
with Rosa-Johan Uddoh
Géza, 306 Maujer
Amant New York, Spring 2025 Resident Rosa-Johan Uddoh presents Pantomime, Performance Art, and Black Feminism. This performance lecture draws from Uddoh’s research into performance art and pantomime, a popular type of satirical, slap-stick musical play originating in Britain that was exported to and appropriated in its former colonies and is still performed across local and national theaters every Christmas.
Blending comedy, drag, and audience participation—the latter sometimes rewarded with the giving of sweets—traditional pantomime parodies European fairytales while offering light commentary on contemporary politics. This lecture takes an experimental approach, exploring pantomime through a Black feminist lens to ask after slapstick’s radical potential. How can laughter, call-and-response, and audience engagement spark an activist mindset? And could a visit from your fairy godmother be the perfect antidote for breaking free from the imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy?
This program is part of the For Your Reference series, where our artists in residence share and discuss key references informing their ongoing research at Amant. Amant programs are always free. RSVPs are strongly encouraged. Seating is first come, first served with some standing room available. Doors for Pantomime, Performance Art, and Black Feminism will open at 6:45pm on Wednesday, April 2 in Géza, located at 306 Maujer.
Rosa-Johan Uddoh is an interdisciplinary artist who examines how British popular culture and performance influence Black self-formation, working towards radical self-love, inspired by Black feminist practice and writing. Through performance, writing, film, and multimedia installation, she explores the effects of specific places, objects, and characters in popular culture, on self-formation. Using humor, parody, and collaboration, she appropriates popular media formats to critically engage and learn from people often excluded from art and art-making. Rosa was shortlisted for the Jarman Award 2022 for her film-making and Iniva’s Stuart Hall Library Artist-in-Residence in 2020. Her work has been profiled in publications including Art Monthly, the New York Times and Nordic Art Review. Rosa is a Lecturer in Performance at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London, and her first book, Practice Makes Perfect, was published by Book Works and Focal Point Gallery in 2022.
Rosa’s solo shows and performances include: Workplace Gallery (London), Womens Art Collection (Cambridge), Focal Point Gallery (Southend-on-Sea), Bluecoat (Liverpool), Destiny’s Atelier (Oslo), Jupiter Woods and The Bower (London). Group shows include: Pioneer Works (New York), Bergen Kunsthall (Bergen), Exile Gallery (Vienna), 68 Institute (Copenhagen), Royal Academy, Somerset House, Tate Modern, and Tate Britain (London).
