What does it mean to lose your home, your belongings, your memories, your neighbors, your community, your culture? These are questions the people of Isles de Jean Charles (La.) are facing as they become the first community to be displaced by climate change of the continental United States. Their plight, shared with thousands of others across the country and around the world, is going by largely unnoticed. Rising Water seeks to give these communities a voice and to bring broader awareness to their reality through the commissioning and performance of new works. 

 

The composers, poets, and video artists commissioned by Rising Water all live in communities affected by or soon to be affected by rising sea level. They will create new performance pieces that reflect the environment, culture, and languages of those immediately threatened by rising sea level that will be performed live in free, outdoor venues. 

 

Their works will be premiered in New Orleans before going on tour along the coastline.