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Creating Change 2024: Disrupt, Engage,
Imagine
WHEN: October
23, 2024 | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
WHERE: Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, NJ
TICKETS: Individual tickets are priced at $75, with a pack of five tickets available for $250 (a 33% discount). A special student ticket is offered at $25 (a 66% discount). For those for whom the registration fee presents a hardship, please reach out to Erica Nagel at enagel@njta.org. To register, visit:njtheatrealliance.org/creating-change-2024. The program is made possible by the support of the Grunin Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The New Jersey arts and culture community is invited to gather
for the 2024 Creating
Change Conference, an annual in-person event dedicated to
fostering learning, inspiration, and actionable change. This year's
conference, themed Disrupt, Engage, Imagine, will take place on
October 23, 2024, at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ.
Organized by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance in partnership
with ArtPride New Jersey, and guided by a steering committee of arts and
social justice leaders from around the state, Creating Change 2024 will explore vital
themes such as community, connection, equitable artistic practices, and
disrupting oppressive systems. The conference will feature two powerful
keynote experiences:
Cassandra Lam will
lead a session on somatic healing, emphasizing the importance of rest as a
modality for collective healing and social change. Her work invites
participants to reconnect with their bodies, hearts, and spirits, fostering
new ways of relating to ourselves and each other.
Sofiya Cheyenne, a
multi-disciplinary performing artist and disability advocate, will speak on
the power of storytelling. As a champion for inclusion and empathy, Sofiya's
keynote will underscore the importance of stories in driving growth and
social transformation.
Erica Nagel, Deputy Director of the New
Jersey Theatre Alliance, shared her excitement about
the keynote speakers, saying, "Cassandra Lam and Sofiya Cheyenne bring
unique perspectives to this year's conference. Their work embodies the spirit
of Creating Change, pushing us to rethink how we engage with each other and
the world around us. These are the voices that will inspire us to imagine and
create a more just and equitable future in the arts."
Reflecting on the significance of equity in the arts, John McEwen, Executive Director of the
New Jersey Theatre Alliance, stated, “Equity in the arts is
about ensuring that every voice can be heard, every story can be told, and
every individual can experience the transformative power of the arts. We must
create spaces where everyone feels welcomed and valued."
Donna Walker-Kuhne, Creating Change
Committee Chair and Senior Advisor, DEI for NJPAC,
emphasized the importance of collective action: "Creating Change is more
than just a conference; it is a movement that challenges us to disrupt the
status quo and engage deeply with our communities. By imagining a more
inclusive future, we pave the way for genuine transformation and equity in
the arts."
For five years, The Creating Change Network, a program of New
Jersey Theatre Alliance in partnership with ArtPride New Jersey, has been
committed to building a more equitable, just, accessible, and anti-racist
arts community in New Jersey. Through ongoing learning and collaboration, the
Network seeks to empower leaders, share strategies, and ensure accountability
within the arts sector.
About New Jersey Theatre Alliance:
Founded
in 1981, New Jersey Theatre Alliance (the Alliance) is the only statewide
service organization for professional, not-for-profit theatre companies in
the United States, and is a leader in developing model programs that unite,
promote, strengthen, and cultivate professional theatre in New Jersey. The
Alliance advances the theatre community by developing innovative,
collaborative, and engaging programs and services for member theatres and
their diverse audiences. The Alliance envisions a field that is flourishing,
collaborative, and equitable for artists, administrators, member theatres,
organizations, and audiences.
Funding for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit
organization, is provided in part by the New Jersey State Council on the
Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey
Arts and Culture Renewal Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, the
National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous individuals,
corporations, and foundations including Grunin Foundation, The Horizon
Foundation for New Jersey, RSI Foundation, City National Bank, The Shubert Foundation,
The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The F.M. Kirby Foundation, New
Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, and OceanFirst Foundation.
About ArtPride New Jersey:
ArtPride
is the voice of New Jersey’s arts community. As the state’s largest arts
service and advocacy organization, we work to preserve funding and advance
policies that invest in the arts across all sectors. The vital research we
furnish promotes the public value of the arts as fundamental to creating
neighborhoods where people want to live, work, visit, and raise a family. Our
award-winning audience development programs connect the public to what’s
going on in our state’s arts scene and help increase attendance. The services
we provide keep the field up-to-date on industry trends and foster
collaboration among our hundreds of member organizations.
Widely viewed as the go-to source for research, innovative
programs and services, and high-impact advocacy, we are proud to support the
work of our vibrant creative community.
Creating Change Network Steering Committee:
Donna
Walker-Kuhne (Chair, NJPAC), Rachel Aponte (Visual Arts Center of NJ), Donia
Salem Harhoor (The Outlet Dance Project), Vince Hall (ArtPride New Jersey
Foundation), Deonté Griffin-Quick (Artist Communities Alliance), Chase
Jackson (Ocean City Arts Center), Sharnita Johnson (Victoria Foundation),
Marshall Jones, III (Rutgers University), Eyesha Marable (NJPAC), John McEwen
(New Jersey Theatre Alliance), Elizabeth Murphy (Gathering Ground), Erica
Nagel (New Jersey Theatre Alliance), Adam Perle (ArtPride New Jersey
Foundation), Michael Roberson Reid (Young Audiences of NJ & Eastern PA),
Alysia Souder (The Institute of Music for Children), Sheldon Steele (Newark
Symphony Hall), Daria M. Sullivan (New Jersey Theatre Alliance), Talia Young
(Newark Symphony Hall).
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