Facilitated by: Joey E. Martinez
* This is a Special Event workshop & is not a Pieter Program. Please reach out to the facilitator if you have any questions.
When: Saturday October 17, 2026 - 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Cost: Sliding scale, NOTAFLOF
Description:
This performance and live exhibit will recover memories of the In(ti)mate Lives in Los Angeles Men's Central Jail's K6-G Unit (Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Dorms) and other jail/prison houses through a "Run-A-Way Walk" of formerly incarcerated artists.
Through gestures, poses, hair, make-up, and gowns made from materials that one will find in the jailhouse dorm, performers will recast the memory of Los Angeles Men's Central Jail from one that is hyper-hetero, hyper-masculine, hyper-private, and hyper-toxic into one that is always already queer and transgendered, transformatively caring, and Abolitionist. Rejecting reformist practices, performers call for "Abolition Now!" Performers will not only tell stories of struggle, pain, and heartbreak, but of liberation, community, and art-making, walking the run-a-way as queer fugitives. Challenging, expanding, and transforming the notion that "Jail saved my life,” poetry, prose, choreography, and/or music will be performed testifying instead to the life we made in spite of jail/prison. Stories of the K6-G Unit and other Jailhouse cells per our honorary Jailhouse members) will publicize what is kept behind carceral walls.
What to expect/what to bring:
This performance will be 2 hours longs. The event will only be in English. Attendees are free to wear whatever they will like. There will be a moment towards the end where we offer a spare piece of fashion to an audience member to walk with us. There will be a total of 4 phases for this performance.
Phase I: Run-A-Way Walk where in(ti)mate fugitives will perform a cat walk across the stage and showcase their fashion. DJ Asante will be mixing music for the walk on her DJ table. Projected introductory video will play as the walk is performed. (Approximately 10 minutes)
Phase II: Fugitives will perform their solo performances—this includes a video of a dance, a musical performance, live poetry, and an embodied performance (theater). A “House Mother” will introduce each performer one at a time, leading them to the front stage. Each performance will be about 7 to 20 minutes. Each performance will also have video and/or loud sounds accompanying. (Approximately 60-70 minutes).
Phase III: “Code Rainbow!” DJ Asante will start mixing and playing music again for us as fugitives perform a second cat walk, however, wearing new tactical care vests. (Approximately 10minutes)
Phase IV: Community Discussion will be facilitated by performers with community audience, discussing themes of incarceration, mental health, queer and transness, as well as abolition and care, and art-making. (Approximately 10 to 20 minutes)
Stage design:
The stage will be designed as a fashion run-way stage with a front stage, center stage, and back stage. Community audience will be sat on the floors on floor mats and blankets and on the sides of the run-way stage. There will be seats at the far ends of each side of the run way stage for audience members to sit. Additionally, there will be ballet barres along the stage, functioning as clothes lines. DJ Asante will be placed at the front left stage. There will be a projector behind the front stage and performer, facing the white wall with columns. The stage will consist of dj lights along the run way stage. There will be a spotlight at the far end back stage of the stage. We will have 2 large audience speakers, and 2 monitor speakers. We will also have a live stream camera on the run way stage. Mario our house mother will be seated in a large bean back toward the back stage right across the spotlight. We will have mini microphones for live stream to hear.
Facilitator Bio:
Joey E. Martinez (he/they) is a formerly incarcerated and trans-disciplinary educator, scholar, artist, and director. Joey strives to remember and retell the untold stories of people who are justice involved and those challenged by their mental health--the painful, ugly, joyful, and beautiful. For them, performance art is a tool for survival, education, community building, advocacy, and non-linear healing. His artwork spans performance, installation art, digital art, music, choreography, and writing. He was awarded the Waud Fellowship for Formerly Incarcerated Artist and completed a residency with Ragdale Residency in Like Forest, Illinois (2025) and is developing a one-person show.
Additional facilitators & artists include:
Princess LuzSee
Accessibility note:
The space is located on the 2nd floor with one flight of stairs directly up from the entrance.
Elevator access is available; please reach out to the facilitator prior to the event if you will need to use it. The elevator is spacious enough for any mobility device and the 2nd floor space is free of any steps or mobility barriers. There are no automated doors in the building. Please reach out to the facilitator if you will need access to the elevator.
There are two all-gender restrooms with three private stalls and a urinal. Each restroom has one stall accessible for mobility device users.
Parking:
Paid parking is available directly behind our building at 2412 Workman Street. There is an additional city lot south of Broadway on Workman Street. There is also ample metered parking in the neighborhood.