Started in 2016 as a platform for exploring projects informed and inspired by religious and spiritual life, Seeking Resonance continues to evolve over time, reflecting the concerns and conversations of our time. Serving as a platform for exploring the intersection of art, community engagement, and social change, with a focus on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the creative sector – at its heart, Seeking Resonance is about the vibrational essence of connecting with place, each other, and self.
Each season, we curate a collection of thematically linked performances and Ovations Offstage events, so that audiences can experience a connection with artists and artforms spanning a variety of genres and cultures.
2024-25 Seeking Resonance Series
In Partnership with Indigo Arts Alliance
In 2024-2025, Seeking Resonance explores a series of projects in music, dance and theater that interrogate the notion of borders – geopolitical, superimposed (ie rewritten by outside forces), and self-defined – and the role the arts can play in bringing peoples together. Land and its features define nation states, communities and even neighborhoods and the personal landscapes, lives and traditions that live within. Too often, borders create lines of hostility or division – imposed and upheld by the legacy of colonialism and politicized by the agendas of nation-states and/or embattled by ethnic or cultural groups who are caught on either side. Through the intentionality of each of the projects and together with our partner Indigo Arts Alliance, we seek to create safe places for communities to gather, hold conversations, heal, celebrate our shared humanity and honor our differences.
Past Seasons
2023-24 Seeking Resonance Series: Legacy
2022-23 Seeking Resonance Events
From stories of migration to diasporic art forms, we travelled the world with the many Black, Brown and Indigenous peoples, cultures and artistic expressions that make up our global community. Together, we explored our deep need to find “home:” a space and place that makes us feel whole – where we feel joyful, safe, valued and loved.
2020-21 Season (Virtual Events)
- Kennedy Center Arts Across America “Sacred Resonance”
- Being Future Beings (Virtual Conversation)
2019-20 Season
- The Kingdom Choir
- Boston Camerata: Free America
- GuGu Drum Group
2018-19 Season
- The Orlando Consort: “Voices Appeared”
- Ranky Tanky
- Niyaz
2017-18 Season
- Simon Shaheen: “Zafir”
- Sandglass Theater: “Babylon”
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2016-17 Season
Portland Ovations initiated Seeking Resonance in 2016 to explore performance inspired by religious and spiritual life.
- A Far Cry featuring David Krakauer: “Dreams & Prayers”
- The LeeVees featuring Adam Gardner of Guster
- The Jones Family Singers
- Yuval Ron Ensemble featuring Dervish Aziz: “Seeker of Truth”
- Ragamala Dance Company: “Sacred Earth”
