Free to change the world
Costume, prop, and publication design for MJM Dance Company's contemporary dance work inspired by Hannah Arendt's writings on freedom, responsibility, and collective action.
2026
International Human Rights Art Festival
30th Street Theater, New York, NY
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Free to Change the World is an interdisciplinary collaboration with MJM Dance Company exploring Hannah Arendt's belief that freedom is realized through action rather than certainty.
For this production, I designed costumes, sculptural props, wearable banners, and a handmade companion zine that extended the performance beyond the stage. Drawing from protest graphics, textile traditions, and participatory design, the work invited audiences to consider how ideas move through bodies, objects, and public space.
OBJECTS IN THE PERFORMANCE
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Vinyl-cut and 3D printed costume elements
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Wearable tulle banners
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Hand-bound performance publication
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Sculptural stage props
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Custom graphics inspired by Arendt's writings
Each object was designed as both a functional performance element and a storytelling artifact.
FROM IDEA TO STAGE
This project evolved through rapid prototyping across digital fabrication, sewing, paper engineering, and graphic design.
Sketches, material tests, typography experiments, laser-cut prototypes, and costume fittings informed the final work, allowing each object to develop through making.
IN PERFORMANCE
The completed work transformed the stage into a landscape of movement, language, and collective imagination.
REFLECTION
This project reinforced my interest in creating participatory storytelling objects that exist across performance, installation, textiles, and print. Rather than treating costumes and props as supporting elements, I see them as narrative objects that continue telling stories before, during, and after a performance.
