What is a Rent Party?
Like most powerful and amazing things in US culture, we have African Americans to thank for the idea of a rent party.  In this case, the beautiful people of the Harlem Renaissance.  

The rent party was a space where, under the oppressive conditions of the day, people could simultaneously enjoy life, dance, make and hear music, feel far away from their fears (at least temporarily), and pay their rent to boot.  I first came to hear of rent parties in relation to the origins of disco and gay underground parties, like David Mancuso’s loft.  

Rent parties from those times seem like light years away, yet here we are - still in New York City, oppressed, ready to party, and with rent to pay.   So this Thursday at cinema antiplastique, we’ll do exactly this.  As you know, cinema antiplastique is not part of arts academic industrial complex (or the wellness one, or the philanthropic one, or the trust fund one, or any other of these complex systems where simplicity, embodiment, care, kindness and reciprocal generosity are needed instead.  

And it may not be the Harlem Renaissance or the mid 1960’s, yet Thursday’s performers are as wildly talented and genuine as anyone from those times.  They're also old and dear friends.  

We hope we’ll see you there.  
If you’d like to support and can’t make it, please feel free to support from here!