The Friction

In 2020, a period of national unrest forced arts organizations to reconsider how their work reflected the communities they served. Many programs were built on models where material was created outside the community and delivered to participants rather than created by them. These organizations were often led and staffed by individuals outside the communities they aimed to represent, so the work presented did not reflect the lived experiences of the students performing it.

The Method

A new creative process shifted the source of material from instructor-led choreography to participant-generated work. Students were asked a series of questions about how they identify themselves and how they are misrepresented. They responded through writings and recorded dialogues. Students then created choreography based on phrases, ideas, and emotions that emerged from their own responses, grounded in their lived experience and their reactions to a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.

The final dance theater installation included music, spoken text, visual art, and choreography, all developed by the participants themselves moving from top-down creation to participant-driven authorship.

Infrastructure

• Participant-generated process
  A repeatable creative practice that generates source material from within a group through writing, dialogue, and collaborative creation.
• Mission alignment
  Increased staff and faculty engagement with the organization’s mission, supported by a process that produces the kind of transformational experience the organization is meant to deliver.
• Community trust and ownership
  Stronger relationships with students and families, resulting in a more connected student community and engagement that extends beyond the program.