RealTime Interventions presents

A Cultural/ Culinary/ Live-Art Experience

CONCEIVED AND CREATED BY MOLLY RICE AND MEMBERS OF THE FEMALE AFGHAN REFUGEE COMMUNITY

DIRECTED BY RUSTY THELIN

Introducing a brand-new work from RealTime celebrating the culture, the flavors, and especially the people of Afghanistan. Co-created with a group of female Afghan refugees resettled in Pittsburgh, this feast of the senses features live storytelling, music, cooking and cultural traditions, all in service to our collaborators’ goal: to open the first Afghan restaurant in the city.

Check out this short documentary created by WQED on the project:

Thanks to you, all shows in our first run were SOLD OUT, with wait lists of up to 70 people per show. 

aLSO THANKS TO YOU, WE’VE RAISED OVER $2500 AS SEED MONEY FOR THE WOMEN‘S BUSINESS so far!

We continue to bring the show to diverse venues across the city, from PNC to University of Pittsburgh!

If you are interested in bringing a performance of Khūrākī to your organization, school or business to enhance cultural awareness, please contact us at realtimeinterventions@gmail.com.

ABOUT KHŪRĀKĪ:

Commissioned by the Office of Public Art as part of their Artists in Residence program* and supported by Pittsburgh’s refugee resettlement community and many other partners, Khūrākī (meaning “eat” or “meal” in the Afghan language Dari) celebrates the beauty of Afghan culture, music, and food through “theatrical portraits” of five strong women who will forever be Afghan but have recently become Pittsburghers as well. What do they miss about their homeland? What have they been able to preserve in the flight from home–in their traditions, in their cooking, in their hearts? What do they hope to cultivate here in Pittsburgh? And what do they want you to know about the beautiful country where they were born?

Professional actors chosen by the women themselves represent each woman, telling their stories while the women gain experience cooking Afghan dishes together for the audience, in commercial kitchens, in service to their central goal: to open the first Afghan food business in Pittsburgh.

Performances feature Afghan food prepared by the women, Afghan-inspired live music and moments of immersive cultural experience.

For more background on the project, please visit our news section.

Press and features on Khūrākī:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 20, 2019

Pittsburgh City Paper, April 3, 2019

Pittsburgh Magazine, April 2, 2019

Marta on the Move Podcast, March 2, 2019

WESA’s “The Confluence”, Monday, April 22.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 23, 2019.

Partners

In addition to the Office of Public Art, our extraordinary partners for this project include: Becky Johnson, Refugee Resettlement consultant; NAMS Community Assistance and Refugee Resettlement Department (closed Dec. 2018); the City of Pittsburgh’s Welcoming Pittsburgh initiative and the Department of City Planning;  La Dorita Kitchen Share; the students of CMU School of Music’s Audience Engagement class, taught by Director of Music Enterpreneurship Monique Mead and Jennie Dorris; New Sun Rising; The Union Project; The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh; City of Asylum; Jen Saffron, owner/ operator of Sprezzatura Catering; Pixelab Studios; Point Park University Theater and Cinema Departments; Allegheny County Department of Human Services; Shehady’s Carpets and Rugs; Katy Dement; Karen Hart; Aldo’s Foodservice; UHaul on Washington; Leilani Mears and PNC; Carol Mullen and the University of Pittsburgh Open Door Project; and the Afghan community of Pittsburgh.

Office of Public Art residencies are produced with support by the City of Pittsburgh, The Fine Foundation, The Buhl Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Opportunity Fund, Pittsburgh Partners for the Arts, and the Our Town program of the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional funding support has been provided by a Community Development Block Grant and Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts.

Banner design: Allie Reefer.