what we believe
our mission
To amplify the power of the arts to build community, deepen access to creativity, increase well-being, and create the conditions for inner and outer change.
our deep purpose
Creativity
To support participants in expressing their creative voice, with the deeply held belief that everyone is uniquely creative.
Community
To engage in community-making through the arts. The arts give us greater access to ourselves and to each other.
Well-being
To recognize that creativity and a sense of belonging are part of what makes us well.
Social Justice
To challenge systemic sources of shame as barriers to learning, self-acceptance and community-building, with care and accountability. And to use the arts to learn and unlearn together so we can work toward the well-being of all.
our approach
Acknowledging Tensions
we know that it takes constant love, work, and accountability to create safe(r) and more accessible, equitable spaces AND we do not have all the answers AND we will keep working with this uncertainty
we know that no one needs to be fixed or saved by us AND we can use our advantage and resources to be part of change-making
we are always learning AND we will make mistakes AND we will work to make it right
we are artists and educators AND we are not therapy AND we want healing to happen for all
Our Principles
we are all creative
we are all exactly who we need to be, and we don’t all have access to what we need
we need to unlearn that we are not enough
we can learn to hold ourselves, our stories, and each other
together we can transform systemic injustice into the worlds we envision
TOWARD brave space
We create spaces for the creativity, stories, and voices of youth and adults in our communities through equity-seeking and community-building multidisciplinary art-based engagement. Opportunities for connection, a sense of belonging and purpose are all protective measures in maintaining mental health. Our approach is committed to social and racial equity, as we believe we cannot build communities of care and creative expression without actively working to make those spaces accessible and equitable for all. We take an anti-oppressive approach to this work, and we invite participants, leaders, and community members into our learning and unlearning about how we can actively work against stigma and discrimination of all kinds (including, but not limited to: ableism, racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, transphobia). We believe that each of us belongs only when we all belong, and that building community through art is an incredible way to mirror to the world a microcosm of what community care and accountability can look like. This is what brave space means to us.
“This is a larger conversation about shame, vulnerability, anti-oppression, and mental well-being, and the value of art in creating spaces of acceptance, community, and transformation.”