UMS' 'No Safety Net 2.0' performance series takes on white feminism and other dangerous ideas

Organizers described last year’s inaugural No Safety Net by sharing the philosophy that “universities should be dangerous places for ideas, and safe spaces for people.” That year, the University of Michigan’s University Music Society curated a performance-art series that delved into ideas like terrorism, transgender identity, addiction, BDSM, and racism, among others. This year, the three-week festival returns, featuring some 20 staged performances, two school-day performances, and opportunities for open dialogue and conversation throughout venues in Ann Arbor and Dearborn.

Highlights from this year include Javaad Alipoor’s The Believers Are But Brothers, which tackles masculinity and internet radicalization; Tania El Khoury’s installation As Far As My Fingertips Take Me, which looks at the refugee crisis; and Lee Minora’s White Feminist, which delves into race, feminism, and privilege in the era of #MeToo.

No Safety Net 2.0 runs from Wednesday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Feb. 9; various times and venues; see ums.org/no-safety-net for full schedule.

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