Biography
Profile:I am a Research-Practitioner in Performance & Theatre from Damascus, Syria. My work is interdisciplinary, bridging performance art, devised theatre, documentary techniques, ethnographic research, filmmaking, and choreography. I have served as a writer, director, creator, performer, collaborator, and consultant on diverse projects across the U.S. and U.K., engaging with large cultural institutions, community spaces, and non-traditional venues, including museums, galleries, theatres, and the streets of urban landscapes. My practice often explores themes of migration, identity, and collective resilience, with a focus on creating inclusive and transformative artistic experiences.
Artistic Highlights:Was Dinner Good, Dear Sister? (Steppenwolf LookOut), Lemon & Oil (Pivot Arts Festival), and Every Time I Step Towards Freedom (Dfbrl8r Art Gallery/Zhou B Art Center). As a performer, I have collaborated on acclaimed works such as New Normal by Jonas Becker at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Atlas Unlimited by Karthik Pandian and Andros Zins-Browne, presented at Logan Center Exhibitions and the Graham Foundation.
My work also includes the immersive performance Veni, Vedi, Vici as part of The Future of Our Plans at SAIC, a street performance activism with Sitting in Our Lap & Plucking Our Beards in Chicago's Loop, and By a Shore Rests a Body at New Blood Festival/Links Hall. On screen, my film Transfixed premiered at Collaboraction's Peacebook Online.
As a theatre director, I have staged compelling productions such as Mihbaj by Riad Ismat at Stratford East, London, Picnic Summit with Collaboraction, and Ghosts of Freedom at Trellis Residency/Greenhouse. New play development and stage readings include Pureland (Silk Road Rising/Goethe-Institut Chicago) and OFF WHITE or the Arab House Party (Backstitch Story Arts), which reflect my commitment to amplifying diverse voices and stories.
Through my practice, I seek to connect testimony, place, and embodied performance to inspire dialogue, reflection, and social change.
Teaching Philosophy:
My teaching philosophy is rooted in creating a classroom environment that prioritizes community, care, and collaboration. I strive to dismantle traditional hierarchies by fostering a space where learning is a shared and dynamic process. Through practices such as un-grading, process-based learning, and constructive feedback models, I encourage students to approach their work with curiosity, self-awareness, and a commitment to growth.My pedagogy emphasizes intercultural and polycultural perspectives, inviting students to draw from their own experiences while engaging critically with diverse global narratives. By centering embodied and intellectual practices, I encourage students to explore ideas holistically, connecting their physical, emotional, and cognitive responses to their creative and academic work.To reduce barriers and create an inclusive learning environment, I integrate flexible and multimodal approaches, including accessible course materials, collaborative projects, and hybrid teaching methods. This adaptability allows students to engage meaningfully, regardless of their circumstances, and supports their success in becoming intercultural collaborators and producers.Ultimately, my goal is to empower students by fostering a learning environment that values their voices, encourages critical engagement, and provides the resources and support they need to thrive as creative and thoughtful contributors to a global community.
Research Focus:
My research delves into themes of diaspora, refugee and immigrant identities, and West Asian (Arab) representations in performance, including explorations of Islamic art and ritual. Through the lens of performance, I examine the dynamics of presentation and representation, particularly as they pertain to war-torn landscapes, trauma, loss, grief, memory, and the collective cultural consciousness. My academic writing includes the essay "Deconstructing Myths via Performance Strategies" in Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art, "Beyond Ruins: Exploring Architectural Nostalgia in Syrian Diaspora Art and the Resilience of Utopian Imaginings," along with several production reviews published in Arab Stages.
Academic Writings:Ismat, Sami. Beyond Ruins: Exploring Architectural Nostalgia in Syrian Diaspora Art and the Resilience of Utopian Imaginings.(unpublished paper was presented at Midwest Art History Society in the panel on Islamic Art & Architecture on April 5th, 2024)
Ismat, Sami. Little Syria by Omar Offendum, Ronnie Malley, Thanks Joey. Arab Stages, volume 14, 26 November 2023.
Ismat, Sami. Layalina written by Martin Yousif Zebari, directed by Sivan Battat. Arab Stages, Volume 14, 17 March 2023.
Ismat, Sami, “Deconstructing Myths via Performance Strategies: Experiences of a Contemporary Practitioner.” Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art, London, edited by Onur Öztürk, Xenia Gazi, Sam Bowker: Routledge, March 21, 2022 pp. 199-212
Academic Background:
My academic journey includes earning an MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School in the UK, where I was honored as a Said Foundation Scholar.
Instructional Areas
Directing, Devised Theatre and Performance, Site-Specific and Eco-Performance, Embodied Research and Writing, Intercultural and Polycultural Performance, Performance as Activism and Applied Theatre, Verbatim and Documentary Practices, Hybrid Performance and Media Storytelling, Migration and Identity in Performance, Contemporary Challenges in Performance (Conflict, Trauma, Resilience), and Sustainable Approaches to Theatre Production.
Creative Practice and Research Interests
Postcolonial, Decolonial, and Postmigratory Practices in Performance, Ethical Practices in Contemporary Theatre and Representation, Arab and Islamic Theatre and Performance Traditions, Performance as Testimony (Diaspora, Trauma, and Memory), Representation of Race, Gender, and Refugee Narratives in Art and Media, Performance and the Anthropocene, Critical Performance Studies (Power, Identity, and Culture), Interdisciplinary Innovations in Media and Technology, Immersive and Virtual Performance, and Ethnographic and Documentary Approaches in Artistic and Scholarly Practices.
Degrees
B.A., Mass Communication American University of Sharjah 2013
M.F.A., Theatre Directing University of Essex 2016
M.F.A., Performance Art School of The Art Institute of Chicago 2020