The Cryptojudaica Project

The Judaica Project investigated the politics and poetics of diasporic jewish identity through artistic research. It has been presented live and onscreen in many different venues since 2012. Since 2022, the term "cryptojudaica" indicates an orientation toward hidden knowledges and critical decolonial technologies.

Read: "Between Death and Ceremony: The Judaica Project 2012-2022" from Public 67 (2023): Return to the Body, edited by Bridget Cauthery and Jonathan Osborn.

Read: "Postmemory: Fragments / Crypt" from Performance Matters 9.1-2 (2023): Performing Practice-Based Research, edited by Peter Dickinson and Ellen Waterman.

Current Projects:

Featured Video Works

Photo Galleries

Short Documentary

The Songwork Catalogue

Related Talks and Publications

Other Materials

Venues

Recent talks and workshops
Aarhus University
University of Winchester
Nucleo de Investigación Artística, Chile
University of Gothenburg
University of California, Davis
RCSSD
Somatische Akademie Berlin
University of Leeds
University of Kent
Leeds Beckett University
Leiden University
Zurich University of the Arts
Trier University, Germany
Lithuanian Academy of M&T
American Society for Theater Research
Int Fed for Theatre Research
Cultural Studies Association
a2ru National Conference
Middlesex University, London
University of Zagreb, Croatia
University of Ghent
University of Brighton
University of Bedfordshire
Northwestern University
University of South Wales
Maastricht University
University of Anbar, Iraq
Dans Brabant, Netherlands
University of Aberdeen

Laboratory Phase (2017)
Center for Jewish Studies, CUNY
Galicia Jewish Museum, Kraków
Goldsmiths, University of London
Grotowski Institute, Wroclaw
ISSJ, Philadelphia
JW3 Community Center, London
LABA Lab for Jewish Culture, NYC
Leimay Ensemble, NYC
Massolit Books, Krakow
Martin E. Segal Center, CUNY
New York University
NN Theatre, Lublin
Panoply Performance Lab, NYC
POLIN Museum, Warsaw
RCSSD, London
SITI Company, NYC
Tufts University, Boston
University of Kent
University of Manchester
Wesleyan University, Connecticut
White Stork Synagogue, Wroclaw

Performance Art (2017)
Actformance, Huddersfield
Awkward Bastards, Birmingham

Chorus (2017-2018)
Holocaust Memorial, Huddersfield

Dybbuk version (2014-2015)
Performing the Jewish Archive
University of Huddersfield

Aleph version (2013)
Performance Mix Festival, NYC

Steampunk version (2012)
Movement Research, NYC
Earthdance, MA
Triskelion Arts, NYC

Credits

Project Leader
Ben Spatz

Laboratory Phase (2017)
Nazlıhan Eda Erçin
Agnieszka Mendel

Performance Art (2017)
Maiada Aboud

Dybbuk version (2014-2016)
Sióbhán Harrison
Jennifer Parkin
Sobhia Jones
Nicola Fisher
Karoliina Sandstrom

Aleph version (2013)
Bruce Steinberg

Steampunk version (2012)
Margot Bassett