Sweat Variant describes the collaborative practice of Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born. We are partners in our work and our lives. Since 1996, we have been working at the intersection of dance, theater, and visual art to make challenging and rigorous work that reaffirms that which has been deemed marginal as the true center through the exploration of Black interiority.

Currently we are in the development stage of our next performance adaku, part 2 of the adaku trilogy, a speculative mythology about how one family in precolonial West Africa becomes entangled in the transatlantic slave trade. The adaku mythology investigates the embodied impact of this rupture. adaku, part 2 will premiere in fall 2026 and tour through 2027-28.

In addition to our own work, Sweat Variant believes that a thriving arts ecosystem depends on a network of mutual support and cultivation among artists. Because of this, we have piloted two initiatives: Artist Supporting Artists Program (ASAP) and Threading Residency.

In 2026, we are raising funds to sustain the core work that makes all of this possible: rehearsals, research, artist labor, and the infrastructure that holds these initiatives together. Every contribution directly fuels the creation of new performance and strengthens the network of artists we are committed to supporting.

To think qualitatively of what this work looks like, here is what your donation could help us cover this year:

$75 - Supports one performer's per diem for one day while on tour

$300 - Supports one day of rehearsal for one adaku, part 2 performer

$500 - Supports the design and creation of a costume for adaku, part 2

$1,000 - Supports travel costs for next year's Threading Resident

$1,500 - Supports the full costs for one day of rehearsals for adaku, part 2

$3,000 - Supports one month of rent and utilities for Sweat Variant's studio

$5,000 - Supports the initial design research and materials purchase for adaku, part 2

$10,000 - Supports the full costs for next year's Threading residency

All donors over $1,000 will have the option to be acknowledged as a "Friend of Sweat Variant" on our website.

Sweat Variant is fiscally sponsored by Producer Hub, a connective space for independent producers, artists, and other arts workers creating live performance. Producer Hub's mission is to provide independent producers and artists, at every level, with the community, mentorship, education and resources to create work, realize their full potential and make lasting contributions to the performing arts field.

All donations to Sweat Variant are tax deductible contributions under section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Tax Code.

Thank you for your continued support.

Okwui, Peter, and the Sweat Variant Team

sweat variant launch - support the constellation

Support the core work that sustains Sweat Variant. Your contribution makes the creation process possible—from early research to the studio floor.

Team Members