Rereading the Riot Act I, April 23 2011
Rereading the Riot Act I, April 23 2011 (photo by Blaine Campbell)

Rereading The Riot Act is an ongoing interrogation of the historical events of April 23, 1935 — when Mayor Gerry McGeer read the Riot Act to the relief camp protesters, their families and supporters gathered at Victory Square.

This series of actions and publications intends to provoke an emotional, politicized engagement with civic space and how or whether we want to narrate (back) to it. Beginning with a public action marking the anniversary of the Victory Square protest, and continuing with a performance cabaret on June 15, 2011 (simultaneously, as it turned out, with the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot in downtown Vancouver), the series is meant to initiate a broader range of self-managed actions. A series of related publications will be launched in summer and fall 2011.

Rereading the Riot Act is curated by Anakana Schofield through a UNIT/PITT curatorial residency project.

UNIT/PITT Projects gratefully acknowledges the support of the British Columbia Arts Council, the Canada Council, the City of Vancouver, the Waldorf Hotel, SFU Institute for the Humanities, and the support of its members, volunteers and individual donors.