named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
POP UP: An Artistic Adventure
Immersive, site-responsive performance project combining original music, movement, and narrative in non-traditional spaces.
Pride Salsa
Queer-focused salsa ensemble and performance group directed by ensemble member Vimal Pradeep.
Soundpainting Brigade
Performance series using Soundpainting, a live-composition sign language, to create improvised theater, dance, and music in real time.
Tell Me Something
Bi-monthly performance series hosted in DUMBO, Brooklyn, featuring improvisational storytelling and audience interaction.
Windows and Mirrors
Educational outreach program engaging high school students in theater workshops and performance creation.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization 1 activity
- Conduct civic engagement initiatives through street theater and community dialogueUses nonpartisan street theater during elections and issue-based performance projects to distribute voter information, register voters, and foster public dialogue on topics such as climate change, fracking, and overconsumption through performances, town halls, and art installations.
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Community-Engaged Theater Production 1 activity
- Create and perform original, community-engaged theatrical works using ensemble-based collaborationProduces politically charged, site-specific performances in public spaces and venues through an ensemble of musicians, dancers, designers, and actors, often incorporating real stories collected from local communities. Performances include POP UP, Tune on a Distant Hill, Riverhead, and The Weather Project, presented across the U.S. and internationally.
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Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
- Deliver educational outreach programs using theater techniques for K-12 and university studentsDesigns and implements arts-integrated residencies and workshops in schools and universities that combine theater, music, and movement to teach academic subjects and foster storytelling skills. Programs include 12-week residencies in NYC public schools and weeklong Soundpainting workshops culminating in student performances.
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Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
- Host public Soundpainting performances and workshops integrating community participantsOffers free Soundpainting workshops and performances using a universal sign language for live improvisation, enabling local residents and students to co-create and perform alongside professional artists. Includes residencies at schools and community events culminating in public concerts.
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Puppetry and Improv Theater Programs 1 activity
- Produce and present interactive improvisational performance seriesHosts recurring improvisational shows such as "Tell Me Something" and "Soundpainting Brigade," where musicians, actors, dancers, and costume designers create live, genre-spanning compositions based on audience input using the Soundpainting methodology.
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Arts Education Professional Development 1 activity
- Provide professional development for educators and nonprofit professionals using theater-based methodsOffers workshops and training for educators, teaching artists, and nonprofit professionals in arts integration, Soundpainting, trauma-informed practices, and donor engagement techniques, enhancing pedagogical and organizational capacity.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Host and co-organize Soundpainting thinktanks and collaborative eventsCo-organized and hosted the 2026 Soundpainting Thinktank at Vassar College, participated in live real-time composition sessions, and contributed to the International Thinktank Final Concert featuring multiple soundpainters.
- Organize and participate in national and international performance tours and festivalsPerforms and teaches at over 200 venues across 16 U.S. states and 8 countries, including international festivals and conferences in France, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, and England, and participates in residencies such as R.A.T. NYC and Young Ethel’s.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$223K
Contributions & grants$148K66%
Program service revenue$50K22%
Investment income$23K10%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$266K
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$145K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$257K
Cash$228K
Investments$0
Liabilities$109K
Net assets$148K
Liquid reserves10.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -38.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leese Walker | Artistic Dir. | 40 | $52K |
board members · 3
- Cynara Charles-Pierre — President
- Jonathan Poplack — Treasurer
- Sonnet Takahisa — VP & Secretary
relationships · 114
Who they work with
- Academy of Arts and Letters Partner — K-12 education partner organization
- Actor’s Studio Drama School Partner — University partner located in NY
- All City Leadership Secondary School Partner — K-12 school partner
- Alliance of Resident Theaters/New York (ART/NY) Partner — Co-designed a workshop for nonprofit fundraising professionals using theater-based training methods.
- Alliance of Resident Theatres/NY Partner — Cultural partner organization
- Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre Partner — Collaborated on "The Bowie Project," a multidisciplinary performance combining Soundpainting with dance and music.
- Arthur Miller Foundation Partner — Cultural partner organization
- BAM Education Department Partner — Cultural partner organization
- BRIC Arts Media Partner — Cultural partner organization
- Ben & Jerry's Funder — Provided support for the Delivering Democracy street-theater campaign.
- Boerum Hill School for International Studies Partner — K-12 school partner
- Brooklyn Arts Council Partner — Cultural partner organization
- Brooklyn High School for the Arts Partner — K-12 school partner
- Brooklyn International High School Partner — K-12 school partner
- Brooklyn Soundpainting Company Partner — Collaborated through Tomi Tsunoda in organizing and leading sessions at the 2026 Soundpainting Thinktank.
- Brown University Partner — University partner located in RI
- Bucknell University Partner — University partner located in PA
- Center for Artistic Activism Partner — Supported the Delivering Democracy project through its Unstoppable Voters campaign.
- Chandler Arts Center Partner — Cultural partner organization
- Chandler Center for the Arts Partner — Commissioned "Tune on a Distant Hill," a performance based on stories from central Vermont residents.
- Charter Arts High School Partner — National K-12 school partner located in PA
- Circle in the Square Theatre School Partner — University partner located in NY
- City University of New York Partner — University partner located in NY
- Conservatorio di Milano Partner — University partner located in Italy
- Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School Partner — National K-12 school partner located in CT
- County Prep High School Partner — National K-12 school partner located in NJ
- Dartmouth College Partner — Collaborated with Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble to present POP UP in Hanover, NH in 2021.
- Dartmouth College Partner — University partner located in NH
- Drew University Partner — University partner located in NJ
- Drexel University Partner — University partner located in PA
+ 84 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Art as a Tool for Social Transformationmethodology: art-as-hammerBy creating politically charged performances and educational programs, we use art not to reflect society but to actively shape it, because provocative, purpose-driven work can catalyze critical thinking and collective action around social issues.
- Collective Creation to Promote Inclusion and Co-Ownershipmethodology: collective_creationBy involving participants as equal co-creators in an egalitarian process, we generate original performances that reflect diverse voices, because inclusive collaboration fosters deeper engagement, agency, and artistic authenticity.
- Community-Engaged Storytelling for Social Connection and Dialoguemethodology: community-engaged_theaterBy gathering personal stories from community members and transforming them into site-specific performances, we foster empathy, collective reflection, and shared identity, because grounding art in local narratives strengthens community ownership and emotional resonance.
- Soundpainting for Real-Time Collaborative Compositionmethodology: soundpaintingBy using Soundpainting—a live, sign-based improvisational language—we create dynamic, interdisciplinary performances in real time, because it enables immediate collaboration across music, dance, and theater and allows audience contributions to directly shape the artistic outcome.