named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Fiscal Sponsorship Program
Supports emerging arts groups like Black Spatial Relics, (X) Collective, and The Pack by providing administrative and fundraising infrastructure.
Generous of HeART Fellowship
Annual fellowship providing $2,500 grants and resources to artists creating work centered on joy, healing, and social change, such as Charlene Jean’s The Mushroom Kingdom of Ezili.
Remember2019
Community-engaged theater initiative in the Arkansas Delta that uplifts Black stories through performances, story circles, and publications like Black Cypress: A Survival Guide, commemorating historical and pandemic-era trauma and resilience.
Sovereignty Stories
Collaborative project with Native Alaskan communities, particularly in Utqiagvik, that uses storytelling, music, and performance to address land sovereignty, climate change, and cultural preservation.
Through [Time]
Program supporting the development of new plays by ensemble members, such as Orlando Hernandez's Eva Maria: Please Come Home, through readings and workshops.
Voices from a Pandemic
Digital story bank and performance project collecting and sharing global testimonies from the pandemic, presented in virtual and live formats.
Wild Home
National program using theater to explore climate injustice and environmental stewardship, with regional iterations in Appalachia, Colorado, and the Ohio River Valley, often in partnership with local communities and environmental groups.
coLAB Refugee Project
Initiative engaging refugee communities in New Jersey through theater workshops and storytelling to share experiences and build community.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Organizational DEI Capacity Building 1 activity
- Advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in programmingElects an EDIA Advocate for every production to handle on-site concerns and reporting, and requires all staff, board members, and leadership-position artists to complete regular Anti-Racism and EDIA training, which the organization covers the cost of.
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Community-Engaged Theater Production 1 activity
- Create community-engaged theatrical productionsDevelops and presents original, community-responsive theater works in collaboration with local communities, refugees, asylees, seniors, and youth, often based on personal stories and social issues. Productions have been staged in New York City, Arkansas, Alaska, Rwanda, and other locations, including works like Café Utopia, gerstl took the easy way out, and Black Cypress: A Phillips County Survival Guide.
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Deliver theater-based workshops and educational programsOffers regular theater workshops for diverse populations including refugee and asylee youth, seniors in Brooklyn, parent and caregiver artists, and student apprentices. Programs include bilingual senior workshops, playwriting groups, and youth-focused creative development initiatives.
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Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
- Distribute cultural materials to underserved communitiesDistributes free children's books, such as *I Want to Be on Stage*, to Title 1 elementary schools in Florida and produces publicly accessible digital archives of community stories, including a 100-minute mixtape and transcripts from the _callin’ down the road:_ STORYBANK project.
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Host artist retreats and residency programsOrganizes retreats and residencies for female-identifying and emerging artists in locations including North Carolina, Massachusetts, Texas, and Phillips County, Arkansas. These programs provide space, funding, and training for self-determined story-sharing projects and artistic development.
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Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Provide fiscal sponsorship and grantmaking support to artists and collectivesFiscally sponsors emerging theater organizations and collectives such as (X) Collective, Black Spatial Relics, and The Peace Studio, enabling them to receive tax-exempt funding. Also awards microgrants and fellowships—including the Generous of HeART, Fair River, and Art in Action Fellowships—to individual artists and initiatives, with recent grants supporting projects in Florida, Brooklyn, and pandemic-affected artists through the Wingspace Relief Fund.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Maintain community-centered financial practicesCommits to allocating at least 50–60% of program costs directly to community partners and participants, while keeping general operating costs below 25% of the organizational budget, including all staff expenses.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$245K
Contributions & grants$241K98%
Program service revenue$4K1%
Investment income$1080%
Other revenue$795
expenses
Total expenses$267K
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$86K
Grants paid out$2K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$196K
Cash$193K
Investments$0
Liabilities$7K
Net assets$189K
Liquid reserves8.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -16.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASHLEY TEAGUE | PRESIDENT/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | 20 | $50K |
board members · 7
- ALEXIS GREEN — DIRECTOR (LEFT DECEMBER 2024)
- CHRISTOPHER WINDOM — DIRECTOR (LEFT DECEMBER 2024)
- J RICHEY NASH — TREASURER
- MOIRA SQUIRE — BOARD CHAIR
- NIKKI HYDE — DIRECTOR
- SHANNON MORZOV — DIRECTOR
- SHARON CHIN LEE — SECRETARY
relationships · 52
Who they work with
- (X) Collective Partner — Fiscally sponsored (X) Collective, supporting their mission of using theatre for service and reciprocal relationship building.
- (X) Collective Partner — Fiscally sponsored initiative led by Alexis Green focused on service and reciprocal relationship-building through theatre.
- AlternateRoots Funder — Funder supporting the Remember2019 initiative
- BGACDC Partner — Lead partner in South Phillips County collaborating on community engagement and publication of *Black Cypress: A Phillips County Survival Guide*
- Black Community Watchline Partner — Collaborated with Notch Theatre Company in 2020 and 2021 to create original theater pieces with refugee communities.
- Black Spatial Relics Partner — Fiscally sponsored and collaborated with Black Spatial Relics on performance projects related to slavery, justice, and freedom.
- Black Spatial Relics Partner — Fiscally sponsored organization supporting new performance works on slavery, justice, and freedom by emerging and mid-career artists.
- Center for Performance Research Partner — Presented work in partnership with the Center for Performance Research.
- Chautauqua Theater Company Partner — Commissioned Notch Theatre Company to develop the CHQ Engagement Project, which staged local community stories.
- Church World Services Partner — Collaborating with Notch Theatre Company to offer theater workshops and create original plays with refugee and asylee youth in New Jersey.
- City of New London’s Cultural District Commission Government — Provided an ARPA grant to support the development and workshop of the play.
- Civic Ensemble Partner — Collaborated on retreats, workshops, and presentations including Cafe Utopia at the Kitchen Theatre Company.
- Civic Ensemble Partner — Collaborating with Notch Theatre Company to present Café Utopia in Ithaca, NY, co-featuring actors and incorporating local stories.
- Elaine Legacy Center Partner — Lead partner in South Phillips County collaborating on community engagement and publication of *Black Cypress: A Phillips County Survival Guide*
- Highlander Institute Funder — Funder supporting the Remember2019 initiative
- International Human Rights Festival Partner — Presented productions at the International Human Rights Festival.
- JKW Foundation Funder — Funder supporting the Remember2019 initiative
- MAP Fund Funder — Funder supporting the Remember2019 initiative, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Provider of an NEA ArtWorks Grant supporting the Remember2019 initiative
- Network of Ensemble Theaters Funder — Funder supporting the Remember2019 initiative, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- New Georges Partner — Collaborated with New Georges through their JAM program for play development and JAMboree presentation.
- New Georges Jamboree Partner — Collaborated on theatrical presentations with New Georges Jamboree.
- New Ohio Theatre Partner — Presented the play "gerstl took the easy way out" at the Ice Factory festival.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Receives support from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
- New York University Partner — Collaborated on productions or presentations with NYU.
- New York University Partner — Collaborated on the workshop and presentation of Anna Karenina: a riff at NYU's Paulson Center.
- Paramount Pictures Partner — Named as a supporter through Emily Sullivan.
- Phillips Community College at University of Arkansas Partner — Partner organization collaborating through staff member Carol Birth on community storytelling initiatives in South Phillips County
- Playwrights Horizons Downtown Partner — Presented work in collaboration with Playwrights Horizons Downtown.
- RCHP-AHC Partner — Partnered with Notch Theatre Company to create original theater pieces with refugee communities and to conduct Story Circle workshops with retirees.
+ 22 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 Healing and Belongingmethodology: trauma-informed_belongingBy using theater and culturally rooted artistic practices to address historical trauma and systemic oppression, we produce transformative healing and belonging because art creates safe, affirming spaces that validate lived truths and expand radical imagination.
- Community-Responsive Storytelling for Narrative Powermethodology: cultural_narrative_reconstructionBy co-creating theatrical content rooted in locally gathered stories and community-led expression, we produce cultural narrative change because centering lived experience amplifies marginalized voices and increases relevance, engagement, and impact.
- Decentralized, Reciprocal Partnership Modelmethodology: decentralized_power_structureBy decentralizing power through local hiring, low overhead, and fiscal sponsorship of community-led initiatives, we produce equitable collaboration and financial autonomy because placing decision-making and resources in community hands fosters trust, sustainability, and self-determination.
- Participatory Theater for Civic and Economic Empowermentmethodology: regenerative_economy_catalystBy integrating theater-making with civic engagement and intentional investment in local economies, we produce community power and regenerative economic alternatives because participatory cultural work builds networks, relationships, and material support systems that sustain activism and autonomy.