named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
LILT MAGAZINE
Quarterly digital magazine documenting the company's work, featuring updates on productions, company members, and creative processes.
Scenes for an Ending
Collaborative dance work with Ririe Woodbury Dance Company and composer Emily Wells, exploring relationships and inspired by the AIDS crisis and climate change.
TROPICO
Dance-theatre production inspired by Lana Del Rey's film and Andy Warhol, exploring pop culture's influence on identity and humanity.
The Absolute Future
Devised danced-theatre performance exploring death, loneliness, and the multiverse, inspired by the 2024 solar eclipse and influenced by Ernest Becker's "The Denial of Death."
UGLY Trilogy
Pop queer empathy trilogy consisting of three parts: UGLY Part 1: Black Queer Zoo, UGLY Part 2: Hysteria, and UGLY Part 3: BLUE, exploring Black queer subjectivity and empathy.
WEDNESDAY
Theatrical documentary re-examining the story behind the film "Dog Day Afternoon," centering on the relationship between Raja Feather Kelly and transgender pioneer Liz Eden.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Original Music-Theater and Opera Production 1 activity
- Develops interdisciplinary performance projects exploring LGBTQ+ themesCreates theatrical and performance works such as WEDNESDAY and the PRIDE Music Video Festival that investigate storytelling, representation, and identity in LGBTQ+ communities through interviews, live events, and commissioned media. The PRIDE Music Video Festival distributed $500 payments to 10 LGBTQIA+ artists and released world premiere music videos during June.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Presents performances in collaboration with educational institutionsStages performances such as Bunny Bunny with student participants at Potiker Theater, integrating performance art into educational settings.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Produces and publishes Lilt MagazineLaunches and maintains a quarterly digital magazine that shares information about organizational members, upcoming events, premieres, and past performances.
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Original Dance Performance Production 1 activity
- Produces original danced-theatre and choreographic performancesCreates and presents original danced-theatre works and choreography, such as "DOOMSCROLLERS," "The Absolute Future," "TROPICO," and "BLUE," often exploring themes of identity, media, and social dynamics. These productions are developed through residencies and commissions and presented at venues including Danspace Project, ImPulsTanz, and The Bushwick Starr.
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New Play Development Programs 1 activity
- Supports artistic development through residencies and commissionsFacilitates the creation of new works through technical residencies, research and development funding, and co-commissions with institutions such as the Fisher Center at Bard, NYU SKIRBALL, and BAM. These supports enable the development of productions like The Absolute Future and The Kill One Race.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Creates graphic novel adaptations of performance worksProduces graphic novels based on original performances, such as TROPICO, conceived and written by Raja Feather Kelly, extending the reach and form of performance art into visual narrative.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$780K
Contributions & grants$708K91%
Program service revenue$36K5%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$35K
expenses
Total expenses$302K
Program expenses66%
Admin / overhead24%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$98K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$683K
Cash$676K
Investments$0
Liabilities$214
Net assets$683K
Liquid reserves26.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +362.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAJA FEATHER KELLY | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & DIRECTOR | 35 | $83K |
| LAURA SNOW | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 10 | $6K |
board members · 5
- CALEB HAMMONS — CO-SECRETARY
- JONATHAN MCCRORY — TREASURER
- SHARLENE CHIU — CO-BOARD LEAD
- STELLA AMUZU — CO-SECRETARY
- TORYA BEARD — CO-BOARD LEAD
relationships · 47
Who they work with
- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Funder — Provided lead support for WEDNESDAY through the Randjelović/Stryker Resident Commissioned Artist Program at New York Live Arts.
- BAM Partner — Provided technical residency support for The Absolute Future
- Bethany Arts Project Partner — Hosted a Guggenheim Works-in-process residency for The Absolute Future
- Bushwick Starr Partner — Supported the development of Bunny Bunny.
- Creative Capital Funder — Provided additional support for the production of WEDNESDAY.
- Danspace Project Partner — Hosted the world premiere of the dance-theater production TROPICO.
- Emily Wells Partner — Musician and artist collaborating on "Scenes for an Ending," contributing original music and artistic vision from her album "Regards to the End."
- Fisher Center at Bard Partner — Commissioning partner through the Live Arts Bard program for the development of The Absolute Future
- Foundation for Contemporary Arts Funder — Provided an Emergency Grant for The Kill One Race
- Fourth Arts Block Partner — Provided studio space through the ExtraBlock program for the development of TROPICO.
- Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center Partner — Provided space and time for the development of TROPICO.
- Gibney Partner — Supported The Absolute Future through its Open Interval Residency Program
- HERE Arts Center Partner — Supported the development of Bunny Bunny.
- Hotel Sans Souci Partner — Provided support in the creation of "UGLY Part 3: BLUE".
- Humeysha Partner — Organization associated with Zain Alam, who composed the score for "We May Never Dance Again®".
- Jerome Foundation Funder — Awarded a Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship grant to support the creation of WEDNESDAY.
- Jerome Foundation Funder — Provided financial support for the production of TROPICO.
- LUMBERYARD Partner — Collaborated with LUMBERYARD to present a performance in the "in the City" series.
- MASS MOCA Partner — Supported the development of Bunny Bunny.
- Mercury Store Partner — Supported the development of Bunny Bunny.
- Mid Atlantic Arts Funder — Supported the engagement through USArtists International with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Howard Gilman Foundation.
- NYU SKIRBALL Center Partner — Co-commissioner of The Absolute Future
- National Center for Choreography Partner — Supported the development of Bunny Bunny.
- National Center for Choreography (NCCAkron) Partner — Provided technical residency support for The Absolute Future
- National Performance Network (NPN) Funder — Supported the project through the NPN Documentation & Storytelling Initiative with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
- New Brooklyn Theatre Partner — Supported the production of The Kill One Race
- New England Foundation for the Arts Partner — Supported the development of Bunny Bunny.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Funder — Provides partial public funding support for programs in partnership with the City Council.
- New York Live Arts Partner — Commissioned and will premiere the production WEDNESDAY as part of the Randjelović/Stryker Resident Commissioned Artist Program.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Provides public funding support for the feath3r theory's programs with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
+ 17 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Centering Marginalized Narratives through Performancemethodology: theatre_veriteBy using theatre verité, relational reflection, and identity-centered artistic practices, the organization re-centers marginalized and forgotten histories—particularly LGBTQ+ experiences—because personal, documentary-inspired storytelling fosters collective recognition, connection, and critical reflection on representation and identity politics.
- Embodied Inquiry and Persona Explorationmethodology: embodied_inquiryBy using the body and embodied personas—such as extraterrestrial or mythic figures—the organization explores complex identities and interior states, because physical and surreal expression allows for safe, transformative engagement with difficult experiences like alienation, mania, and queer Black subjectivity.
- Pop Culture Reinterpretation for Empathymethodology: pop_culture_empathyBy reinterpreting popular culture and history through surreal, devised dance-theatre performances, the organization fosters empathy and human connection, because emotionally resonant, allegorical storytelling disrupts habitual media consumption and invites personal reflection on shared themes like desire, isolation, and identity.