values.
BELONGING
We believe in creating and facilitating artistic spaces of BELONGING for our most disenfranchised residents, while acknowledging the trauma of dis-belonging and its legacies, which are embedded in our histories of oppression.
RESPONSIVENESS
As our society changes at unprecedented speeds, we must work from a place of radical RESPONSIVENESS to address community concerns with artistic ferocity and meaningful contribution.
CULTURAL SPECIFICITY
We are invested in embracing all identities, the multiplicity of cultures, and the fullness of what makes individuals human. In this way, we commit to practicing CULTURAL SPECIFICITY in all our work and to partnering with artists actively working in Anti-Racist and culturally competent modes, while at the same time holding ourselves accountable to rigorous analysis of our own cultural traditions and lenses.
ART & STORYTELLING
We believe that ART can change the fabric of our society, that people are transformed by cultural experiences and exposure; and we believe in the power of telling your own story. Art can raise awareness of, question, and challenge long-held beliefs of social and cultural supremacy, and art empowers people to become advocates for disruption of those systems. We value the artist in everyone, and our work strives to offer a platform for the transformative STORYTELLING that unleashes true artistic excellence.
JUSTICE
We hunger for a more just society. We acknowledge that the communities with which we partner have technologies toward liberation, which they have been practicing for generations, and that our work is the support, amplify, and walk alongside those efforts. Our organization and programs are not end goals in and of themselves but strive to be in service of the larger JUSTICE movement that began long before us.
POWER BUILDING & ETHICAL FUNDING
We believe in the power of gathering in community. We strive to create spaces for grassroots, community POWER BUILDING and are committed to ETHICAL FUNDING that invests in the economic betterment of our communities. Our cultural work aims to encourage development of new networks, relationships, financial systems, and funding streams that catalyze alternative and regenerative economies to support our partners in achieving full financial freedom and autonomy.
RELATIONSHIPS
Our work must be built on a foundation of trust and of meaningful, equitable RELATIONSHIPS. We know that intimate, proximate, durational artistic collaborations can have both deep grassroots and larger systemic impact for our society. This includes bringing the theatre experience to geographically marginalized and rural neighborhoods and forging bonds between disparate and distant communities.
CARE
We lead from a place of CARE. We believe that artistic excellence is measured in personal impact and our processes must, above all else, offer participants grace, compassion, and a space for their full humanity. Our work will always put people first and prioritize CARE above urgency, efficiency, deadlines, or any one artistic product.
JOY
We believe art is inherently joyful. We believe in theater that talks back, that sings too loudly, that responds in the moment, that laughs uproariously, and that respects all cultural practices of audience engagement. Theatre is playful, enchanting, transformative, and when armed with a deep social consciousness, theatre is power. We center our power in that everlasting and invincible JOY.
We believe in creating and facilitating artistic spaces of BELONGING for our most disenfranchised residents, while acknowledging the trauma of dis-belonging and its legacies, which are embedded in our histories of oppression.
RESPONSIVENESS
As our society changes at unprecedented speeds, we must work from a place of radical RESPONSIVENESS to address community concerns with artistic ferocity and meaningful contribution.
CULTURAL SPECIFICITY
We are invested in embracing all identities, the multiplicity of cultures, and the fullness of what makes individuals human. In this way, we commit to practicing CULTURAL SPECIFICITY in all our work and to partnering with artists actively working in Anti-Racist and culturally competent modes, while at the same time holding ourselves accountable to rigorous analysis of our own cultural traditions and lenses.
ART & STORYTELLING
We believe that ART can change the fabric of our society, that people are transformed by cultural experiences and exposure; and we believe in the power of telling your own story. Art can raise awareness of, question, and challenge long-held beliefs of social and cultural supremacy, and art empowers people to become advocates for disruption of those systems. We value the artist in everyone, and our work strives to offer a platform for the transformative STORYTELLING that unleashes true artistic excellence.
JUSTICE
We hunger for a more just society. We acknowledge that the communities with which we partner have technologies toward liberation, which they have been practicing for generations, and that our work is the support, amplify, and walk alongside those efforts. Our organization and programs are not end goals in and of themselves but strive to be in service of the larger JUSTICE movement that began long before us.
POWER BUILDING & ETHICAL FUNDING
We believe in the power of gathering in community. We strive to create spaces for grassroots, community POWER BUILDING and are committed to ETHICAL FUNDING that invests in the economic betterment of our communities. Our cultural work aims to encourage development of new networks, relationships, financial systems, and funding streams that catalyze alternative and regenerative economies to support our partners in achieving full financial freedom and autonomy.
RELATIONSHIPS
Our work must be built on a foundation of trust and of meaningful, equitable RELATIONSHIPS. We know that intimate, proximate, durational artistic collaborations can have both deep grassroots and larger systemic impact for our society. This includes bringing the theatre experience to geographically marginalized and rural neighborhoods and forging bonds between disparate and distant communities.
CARE
We lead from a place of CARE. We believe that artistic excellence is measured in personal impact and our processes must, above all else, offer participants grace, compassion, and a space for their full humanity. Our work will always put people first and prioritize CARE above urgency, efficiency, deadlines, or any one artistic product.
JOY
We believe art is inherently joyful. We believe in theater that talks back, that sings too loudly, that responds in the moment, that laughs uproariously, and that respects all cultural practices of audience engagement. Theatre is playful, enchanting, transformative, and when armed with a deep social consciousness, theatre is power. We center our power in that everlasting and invincible JOY.
