Hi there,

In this age of widespread misinformation and increased threats to press freedom, support for independent journalism is more important than ever. Media is essential to the functioning of a democratic society. We have extended our Giving NewsDay triple match through today ONLY, so you still have time to make 3x the impact. Please donate today, so we can keep delivering urgent reporting on the world’s most pressing issues. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you so much!

Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

Nermeen Shaikh Keynote at Counterpublic's Inaugural Convening Circus of Life

St. Louis, MO

Saturday, October 25, 2025 • 7:45 PM

Registration is required. The event is free, but Counterpublic offers a sliding scale with recommended contributions for those able to support the event financially.

Details

Democracy Now!'s Nermeen Shaikh will give a keynote address in “Act IV” of non-profit Counterpublic's first inaugural Convening, dubbed The Circus of Life.

Counterpublic writes, “Inspired by the richness of circus entertainment and artists’ ability to expand society’s imagination, CIRCUS OF LIFE will bring a variety of such experiences to the public. Artists, advocates, and cultural leaders will present ideas and performances, share conversations, pose questions, and host booths of fun and exchange for all to make meaning together. Organized in five distinct Acts, each with its own theme, the Big Top will host a combination of live performance, song, discussion, and a variety of entertainment and spectacle. Surrounding the Big Top will be booths and tables by artists and collaborators presenting activities and games, alongside mystical and educational experiences. Workshops will unfold over the course of the weekend, offering ways to engage in-depth in hands-on activities and discussions.”

Counterpublic’s description of the overall event reads:

“The Convening is designed to be a standalone signature event alongside Counterpublic’s triennial exhibition with a different set of themes, participants and focus topics. Taking place every three years between exhibition editions, the Counterpublic Convening aims to test new models of organizing, create dynamic points of assembly and to push forward discourse towards generational change.”

Organizer

Address

The Big Top

3401 Washington Ave,
St. Louis, MO 63103

Show Map

Speaker Bio

  • Nermeen Shaikh

    Nermeen Shaikh is a co-host and senior producer at Democracy Now! She worked briefly at Al Jazeera English in Washington, D.C. before joining Democracy Now! in 2011.

    She serves on the Board of Directors of the Nobel Women’s Initiative.

    She was previously the Managing Editor at Asia Society and a researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London. She has also worked at development and research organizations in Islamabad and Tehran.

    Shaikh is the author of The Present as History: Critical Perspectives on Global Power (Columbia University Press) and the editor of Slums, Security and Shelter in Pakistan (Vanguard Books).

    She has been an invited speaker on issues ranging from global politics and independent media to psychoanalysis and literature at venues including the United Nations, the psychoanalysis division of the American Psychological Association, and the European Association for Commonwealth Literature. She has presented a TEDx talk in Budapest and been a featured speaker at the Toronto International Film Festival.

    She has also served on the jury of the Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards.

    In addition, Shaikh has appeared in contemporary art exhibitions including at the Guggenheim Museum in New York as an interpreter/participant in Tino Sehgal’s “This Progress” and as an actor in Philippe Parreno’s film installation, “The Crowd” at the Park Avenue Armory.

    She starred in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film as “the Radio” in the 2020 series titled “Homemade”.

    Shaikh has a B.A. (Honours) in political studies from Queen’s University and an M.Phil. in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University.