Ours to Do: Accountability Report (The First 30 Days)

Artwork by Sarah Greenman.

“What if accountability wasn’t scary? It will never be easy or comfortable, but what if it wasn’t scary? What if our own accountability wasn’t something we ran from, but something we ran towards and desired, appreciated, held as sacred? What if we cherished opportunities to take accountability as precious opportunities to practice liberation? To practice love? To practice the kinds of people, elders-to-be, and souls we want to be? To practice that which we can only practice in real time? After all, we can only practice courage when we are afraid. We can only practice taking accountability when we have wronged or harmed or hurt. Practice yields the sharpest analysis.”

- Mia Mingus, “Dreaming Accountability”

ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (The First 30 Days)

In August of 2020, we shared what is Ours To Do, and announced an intentional pause to disrupt the urgency cycle of our programs, examine and dismantle hierarchical structures, and offer space for some much-needed learning and implementation as individuals and as an organization. We are now 30 days in, and are opening up about how we arrived at this work, what we are doing, and where we are going in what we hope will be a continued journey of transparency and community accountability for years to come. 

At the start of 2020 Statera initiated an internal Pathways Listening Tour to identify access needs and necessary structural changes for our team. Among some of the celebration points we heard were the positive thrust and focus of our work together, the multiple points of rich community, opportunities to support each other through our programs, and the commitment to learning and inquiry around our own practices. Among some of the expressed pain points throughout the team were exhaustion, too little compensation, and too many hours, which prompted us to cancel our 2020 Conference to make space to address these issues. As the effects of COVID-19 and the rising social justice movement became clearer, we continued to hold precious space for our team members, where the lack of team intersectionality, amplification vs. tokenization, and an overall yearning for balance were ongoing and pressing topics of examination.  

Many of those issues were emphasized again in a formal call-to-action from Minita Gandhi, former Co-director of Mentorship, to “do better.” We are grateful to Minita for sharing her expressed experience, which also brought to light important points of inquiry around our reliance on volunteerism, clear and reasonable scope of work, and a call for accountability; all of which are in full alignment with Statera’s current work and how we plan to emerge from our intentional pause in the program and production cycles. We are committed.

We identified three main working spaces for this 90-day period: 

• Mentorship 

• EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Training and Practices

• Organizational Structure & Communications

Statera initiates thoughtful pause; individual and small group EDI training and learning;
research for team EDI training; internal listening tour continues

Mentorship:

• Completion of the 2020 cycle, August 31st

  • Individual mentor/mentee and Regional Coordinator (RC) conversations

  • RC Listening Tour scheduled (4 sessions, first week of September)

• Continued Pathways Tour with Statera Team & Ambassadors (our internal practice of mentorship)

EDI Training & Practices 

This work is two-fold. It is work that we are doing together as an organization, as well as on an individual level. Below is a non-exhaustive list of who we have been learning from thus far (June, July & August). We are including links to their powerful work, because we would love for you to have a chance to engage with them as well! 

As an organization we are learning from:

• Statera’s Virtual Member Meet-Up: Anti-racist Resources for Theatremakers, Leah Harris

• Journey Theatre Project - Courageous Conversations 

• Amplified or Tokenized:  Candid Guide to Creating Inclusive Campaigns w/Meaning & Impact, Gia Goodrich

• UDEMY Courses

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ulysses Smith

  • How to Lead Through Diversity & Inclusion, Illumio Learning

  • Diversity & Inclusion, Sai Acuity Institute of Learning

  • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Essentials, Skills Boosters for a Better Workplace

• ELEVATE Conference - Swaim Strategies

As individuals we are learning from:

• Dismantling White Feminism, Layla F. Saad

• The Listening. White Allies: Choose to do Better

• Secrets to Responding to Racism, Chakita Sharnise

• White Urgency is Violence lecture series by EbonyJanice Moore

• Scaffolding Change and RED Strategic Planning Facilitation with Kelvin Dinkins Jr.

• 7-Day Anti-racism Challenge w/ Chakita Sharnise

• Allied Media Conference

• Anti-Racism Daily newsletter by Nicole Cardoza

Organizational Structure & Communications

• All team members began logging hours 

• Instituting hallway moments for the team (optional Winedown Wednesday or Tea & Talk, etc.)

• Collective Learning

  • Flock learning channel established for resource sharing

  • Book club established to begin in September

• Transparency

  • Communications sharing (group ideating & internal sharing before all public releases)

  • Scheduling Team retreat for September

• Continued interrogation and challenging of hierarchical structure by inviting full team participation in key decision points.

Statera expands the listening tour to community-based leaders and
stakeholders; Statera begins team and Board EDI training and learning

Mentorship

• RC Listening Tour (first week of September)

EDI

• Book Club Begins with Statera Team, Board, & Ambassadors - we are collectively reading EMERGENT STRATEGY, by adrienne maree brown

• Identify full Team and Board EDI Training

ORG Structure & Communications

• Implement Director autonomy 

• Interrogate pay & power structures

• Implement twice-monthly team ideating & accountability meetings

There will be much more detail to come as we navigate the next 30 days. Deepest gratitude to Statera Ambassadors for your continued commitment to Statera's mission. Thank you to Statera Mentorship Regional Coordinators for your insights and wisdom as community leaders. Thank you to the Statera Team past and present for your trust and patience as we do the hard and necessary work to bring Statera’s practices and operations into full alignment with Statera’s mission to create pathways that bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. 

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Your Questions

Thank you to everyone from inside the organization as well as outside who are asking questions, offering insight, and ideating with us during this time of powerful culture shift. We do not have all the answers, nor will we pretend that we do. We are a small and heart-centered organization that is committed to the work at hand. The questions below have arisen in one-on-one conversations with the Statera community, and we will continue to include this series in future accountability posts. We welcome them.

Q: What is your current pay structure for team members?

A: We were founded as an all-volunteer organization. In January of 2019, we began offering stipends for the first time to our Directors and Executive Team. Our three executive team members are currently receiving part-time stipends and our Program Director stipends doubled at the beginning of 2020. We are only 18 months into our first attempt at paying ourselves. Our Regional Coordinators for Mentorship, Ambassadors, and mentors and mentees in the current program are all volunteers. Also beginning in 2019, we committed to covering previously prohibitive Conference costs of travel, accommodations, and food for all internal team members. 

Q: Your organization is founded by white women. What are your plans to transition leadership to include women of color?

A: Our goal is that the work and future of StateraArts be led by leadership representing the many intersections of the Statera community. Since we are not financially sound and our pay structure does not fully support a full time Executive Director salary, we have no way to equitably transition to BIWOC (Black, Indiginous, Womxn of Color) leadership. We would never want to hamstring incoming leadership with the same set of challenges and no ability to support their sustainability in the position. We are working towards that goal with our past and current grant cycle and are currently restructuring the entire leadership and team model to make this a reality.

Separately, groundwork was laid over the past year for Sarah Greenman (Creative Director from 2015-2018 and Operations Director from 2019-2020) to step away from her position this summer. News of Sarah’s departure was included in our August newsletter. Sabrina Cofield (Statera Ambassador from 2017-2019) was hired last year to serve in an executive capacity as Development Director.

Want to join Statera as an accountability partner in this journey? Feel free to share resources, EDI training options, or feedback at: [email protected].

You can also follow the #StateraAccountability hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

“What if accountability wasn’t scary? Take a breath and let that sink in for a second.”

-Mia Mingus

Ours To Do

Dear Statera Community,

We have work to do. Period. And we are honored to learn and pivot in community with you. As we enter our final month of the 2020 class of Statera Mentorship we continue to amplify voices from the Statera community and beyond, offer resources and avenues for connection, and advocate for holistic creative environments where people -- indeed more women, can show up whole. Additionally, the Statera team is riveted to practicing this work within, beginning with continued, generative dialogue and deep listening to honor the experiences and needs of our internal and community-based Statera team.

In the midst of the unanticipated and collective halt of our entire sector due to COVID-19, we are intentionally making space for immediate, individual and collective deep learning and change. Important work continues to ensure that Statera emerges in wholeness and equity at all levels of operation. 

As such, we have initiated the following plan of action:  

30 days: Listening and Learning
Statera initiates thoughtful pause; individual EDI training and learning; research for team EDI training; internal listening tour continues 

60 days: Expanded Listening, Learning, and Identification
Statera expands the listening tour to community-based leaders and stakeholders; Statera begins team and Board EDI training and learning

90 days: Identification, Strategy & Planning
Identify EDI training resources for Statera community leaders; engage a compensated Community Task Force

These are just some of the points of our highest curiosity and interest: 

• Unearth and address individual and team biases

• Learn and take direct action to make Statera an anti-racist environment

• Prepare all Statera team, Board, and volunteers with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training

• Interrogate Statera’s reliance on non-profit volunteerism 

• Identify ways to enact clear boundaries and scope of work, given and received by passionate and creative volunteers 

• Proceed in right-relationship with one another and with the Statera community at large 

We are committed to being an organization where equity and support exist at the core of our own operations, toward a future of true balance in the arts sector at large. 

In Statera, (balance) 

Melinda Pfundstein
Co-founding Executive Director

Sabrina Cofield
Development Director

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The above message was originally shared in our August newsletter.

Erika Vetter Fontana: Director of Online Communities

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Photo by Adam Fontana

StateraArts has made a title change to one of the key positions in our organization. Previously known as “Social Media Coordinator”, the title of this position has now been changed to “Director of Online Communities.” The reasoning behind this is to incorporate a title that more accurately reflects the actual duties, responsibilities, and nature of the position.

For the past three and a half years, Erika Vetter Fontana has served as the Social Media Coordinator for StateraArts. Her relationship with Statera goes all the way back to our first conference in 2015. At Statera, we are committed to creating pathways for women and non-binary people in the arts industry, and we are also committed to honoring the strength, passion, and vision of the many team members working within the organization.

Statera Executive Director, Melinda Pfundstein says, “Erika’s contribution to the Statera community and the organization as a whole cannot be underestimated. Since joining the team in 2015, Erika has lead from within to help shape the ways in which we reach and build community around the world.”

Today, we’re excited to re-introduce you to our Director of Online Communities, Erika Vetter Fontana.

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Erika Vetter Fontana in Really Really Theatre Group's production of LUNGS (Photo by Zoë Burchard)

SA: What lights you up?
Erika Vetter Fontana: Taking on a colossal challenge I’m fiercely passionate about. I’ll never feel more light than I do in the moments I overcome those challenges, success or no, because I’ve inevitably surprised myself in what I’ve learned. Incidentally, these are the moments when I feel I’m apart of something much bigger than myself.

SA: What is your "WHY"? Meaning why do you do the work you do - your personal mission. 
EVF: I want to be the artist who bridges their work to their dedication to society— or the citizen artist. I want my work to have positive, enduring impact on myself and my community. I want to build and contribute to spaces and groups that practice holistic artistic collaboration.

SA: How is your "WHY" integrated with your work at Statera?
EVF: To be honest, my work with Statera has been an integral part of shaping my “why”. I got involved with Statera at their inaugural conference back in 2015 at a time when I was feeling fairly lost and uninspired. Positive action to create positive change, bringing women and non-binary artists into full and equal participation in the arts— these are pillars of my work now.

SA: What is your vision for the work you do at Statera?
EVF: The Statera mission is about bringing more creative minds to the table, amplifying artistry of those who are creating positive change, and advocating for an arts industry that reflects our gloriously diverse world. Social media has changed the way we connect and stay connected. My hope is to use our social media platforms to widen the scope of artistry and representation we see, and build our community taking part in this movement.

SA: Tell us about a mentor in your life. 
EVF: I have a great mentor in Valerie Curtis-Newton. She is insanely talented, profoundly wise and impactfully intentional in her work, and she is generous about sharing all of it. I’ve learned a lot about what it means to be a bold and collaborative artist from her.  

Follow our Instagram and Facebook pages to engage with our community and be part of the gender parity movement!

Evangeline Stott is Statera's New Director of Creative Content

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New York-based painter, writer, and actor, Evangeline Stott, has been named Director of Creative Content, a newly formed role at StateraArts. At Statera, the work we promote and advocate for publicly is also the work we are doing internally. We are committed to creating pathways for women and non-binary people in the arts industry, and we are also committed to honoring the strength, passion, and vision of the many team members working within the organization.

For the past year and a half, Evangeline Stott has worked as Statera’s operations Assistant and her first encounters with Statera go all the way back to our first conference in 2015. In 2019, she was a key coordinator for the SWAN Day Calendar, author of many blog interviews, and support for forward-facing web maintenance. This newly formed position is a perfect syncronization of Stott’s talents and passion and Statera’s growth as a content creator in the gender parity movement.

In her new role, Stott will serve as community liaison, curator, and co-editor for the Statera Blog. (Did you see the new blog layout announced on Friday?) Stott will also oversee the Statera Community Calendar.

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Statera Arts: What lights you up?
Evangeline Stott: Human connection. That moment of “I see you” that happens either across the table from another person while chatting in a coffee shop, or in a giant room full of people all aligned in one purpose, experiencing radical presence. Traveling (I love even the laborious, mundane parts of going ANYWHERE). Cooking for friends (creating nourishment with my hands), the first big stroke of paint on a new canvas, collaboration, using my body and voice to storytell, cold weather, blue velvet, sequins, natural light, house plants, and the first big laugh after a long, hard cry. 

SA: What is your "WHY"? Meaning why do you do the work you do - your personal mission. 
ES: I am most in my purpose when I am challenging my own empathy and imagination, or when I am operating as a bridge between two people, two cultures, or two ideas. I love being an active agent inside of a collaborative environment. As a visual artist, I've been investigating the connective tissue in an individual's relationships: to self, to another, to community, to society, to family. What is it that ties us so strongly to another person, or place? What bonds?

SA: How is your "WHY" integrated with your work at Statera?
ES: I know that I have the power to foster empathy by putting my ear to the ground and finding stories to share that change the narrative of what it is to be a woman or non-binary artist. I believe in developing an environment wherein consistent community leads to the fortification of artistic, holistic lives and careers. Consistency is a big word for me in regards to the work I am doing with Statera. Vital communities only thrive with regular engagement and support. Saying “yes” to a leadership role in such a forward-facing part of the work we do at Statera can be intimidating at times. I help usher forward stories that are at the forefront of the revolution in many ways. Luckily, I'm not doing this alone! I feel beyond fortunate to be a part of this small and mighty organization here, wherein my heroes sit across the table from me and teach me so much.

SA: What is your vision for the work you do at Statera?
ES: Melinda Pfundstein stated in her opening remarks at StateraCon this last fall that "Balance is a verb, not a noun." That phrase is written all over my journal, in different entries, almost as if it's a new idea to me every time I write it. I aim for the blog to be a constant agent for balance. By yeilding the power of public access we have the power to share stories that we notice are missing from the cultural narrative, especially in regards to women and non-binary artists in the margins. 

Evangeline Stott painting in her studio.

I want the blog to live as an answer to helplessness; a space that feels as if it belongs to all of us, serves all of us. Our community should feel invited to leverage this space in a way that amplifies their voice and advances their work. We are re-narrating the story of women and non-binary folx in the arts, and we can't do it without you! If you have something you'd like to contribute to the blog, please reach out to me.

SA: Tell us about a mentor in your life. 
ES: Gosh, Melinda and Sarah Greenman have both mentored me in a big big way, trusting me, championing me, leading by incredible example. Melinda was the first woman I knew who created work that inspired me AND showed me how to be a fierce advocate and an incredibly intentional and graceful mother. She was the first woman I saw, doing what I wanted to do. Meredith Grundei has been a mentor to me, and such a friend in the devised theatre community as she’s listened for literal hours and shared her own experience in collaborative environments with me! My mother, who taught me how to how to walk the walk of friendship and community. It is not without reason that after she passed, over 800 people showed up for her celebration of life. Her best friend, Amanda Moore, who fearlessly runs Reigning Grace Ranch in Rio Verde, Az, and who showed me what it was to work hard as hell for the humans and creatures who you refuse to turn a blind eye to. I’ve looked up to her since she directed me in my first play at age 8, and I hear her voice in my head telling me that I "have the grit for this” whenever I’m tempted to give up on my dreams. Clearly, my life has been too full of incredible women to name just one!

SA: Any upcoming projects you'd like to share with the community?
ES: The theatre ensemble I co-founded last year, August Corps, had a huge year of running training sessions, collaboratively writing ECHO (a folk play based off of the myth of Echo and Narcissus), fundraising, building a studio and residency space on a farm in Alabama, and finally, performing ECHO in an underground cave for a small audience! It was absolutely wild! Now we are recharging and meditating on what it means to build a radical community of theatre artists and truly hold each other's feet to the fire artistically. We are tending to our soil. I am also developing a movement salon with Jens Rasmussen at The Bechdel Project, which I couldn't be more excited about. 

If you have something you'd like to contribute to the blog, please reach out and engage with Evangeline!

Turning Social Distancing into a Creative Retreat

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We believe in the power of re-narrating, re-naming, and re-thinking. While there is much to do in this time to safeguard ourselves and help those around us, we offer that this time might also serve as a creative retreat. We’ve gathered some inspiring resources in hopes of providing a little levity to you and yours!

Image via Brit + Co

Image via The Jealous Curator

Creative and Educational Project Ideas:

• Learn a new language on Duolingo!

• Take art classes on Creative Bug or Skillshare (first two months are free!)

• Take a Brit + Co class! Online Classes are FREE through 3/31 with code SELFCARE at checkout.

• Challenge your kids (and yourself!) by participating in the FREE Stop Motion Kid’s Camp taught by Trisha Zemp

• Brush up your Shakespeare and send a video to Remote Artist Collective!

• Take courses from Ivy League schools

• Take FREE film classes from Sundance Co//ab

• FREE Tech and Design classes from ETC Learning Stage

• Take this FREE Beat-the-Plague Playwriting Workshop

• Check out some of the incredible SWAN Day Artists by browsing artist profiles here, here, here, and here.

• Find inspiration on The Jealous Curator blog.

• Browse this list of websites for teaching your kids to craft and DIY at home!

Image via The Public

Image via The Met

Things to Stream/Tune In to:

• Dig into this GIANT list of Live Theatre to Stream.

• Live stream productions from the National Theatre.

• Live stream from the Paris Opera.

• Check out Panel: Artists In a Time of Global Pandemic.

• Tune into Stars in the House hosted by The Actors Fund!

• Binge Lili Torre’s The Dreaded Question podcast.

• Spark some new ideas with The Sparkfile podcast, hosted by Laura Camien + Susan Blackwell!

• Listen to The Kindness Warrior podcast hosted by StateraCon presenter, Carly Riggs!

• Join The Bad Drawing Club’s virtual hangout.

• Listen to The Great Women Artists Podcast.

• The Shrill Collective’s virtual Community Support Group, happening every Thursday at 10am EST.

• Take yourself on a virtual tour of one of the 12 Famous Museums offering them.

• Stream classic films via The Criterian Channel.

• Tune into live performances from a broad range of musicians with Live from Here on their website, and via their Instagram.

• Watch “The Rest I Make Up”, a documentary about Maria Irene Fornes.

• Fill your home with music from the 000ze.Digital live music festival on Instagram!

• Check out The Social Distancing Festival.

• Sing along with Marie’s Crisis as they continue their famous NYC piano bar experience virtually 4-7pm and 7-9:30pm EST daily.

On the Statera Book Shelf:

• “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield

• “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron

• “The Creative Habit” by Twyla Tharp

• “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver

• “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert

• “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” by Joan Didion

• “Silence in the Age of Noise” by Erling Kagge

• “Bluets” by Maggie Nelson

• “A Big Important Art Book (Now with Women)” by Danielle Krysa

• “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon

• “Yes Please” by Amy Poehler

• “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle

• “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown

• “Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” by David Bayles

• “Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in that order” by Bridget Quinn

Image via Headspace

Image via Headspace

Image via Movement for Hope

Self Care and Mental Health:

• Enjoy free meditations via Headspace.

• Kick start a yoga practice with My Yoga Works.

• Tune in to Kate Garfeild’s donation-based pilates classes via Instagram live daily!

• Join Intimacy Directors & Coordinators for Self Care Thursdays at 3pmPST/5pmCST/6pmEST for the next six weeks.

• Find meditation practices for kids with the Mindful App!

• Connect with a personal teacher LIVE with Journey Meditation (7-day free trial).

• “Only for Now: Managing the Stress of Self-Isolation and Being Green” Webinar with Dr. Andrea Mechanick Braverman

• Journal Prompts for Anxiety and Depression.

• Release headache tension with quick massage tutorials from Neela Kohli.

• Participate in various movement-based classes offer FREE and throughout the day at Movement For Hope.

Are you leading or participating in a class, workshop, live performance or other event you’d like us to share? Email [email protected] to submit it to this list!

Banner artwork by Evangeline Stott used with permission.

Artist Resources: Statera Responds to COVID-19

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March 13, 2020

Dear Statera Community,

As the impact of COVID-19 becomes more wide-reaching, we activate around the specific threat to those whose livelihoods depend on the arts. In addition to the effects on work weeks, dollars, and jobs, we recognize the impact on community for those in containment situations, and out of work. Statera continues to advocate on behalf of artists everywhere. Here are a few specific avenues for proactive support:

• Immediate support: Statera has compiled an Emergency Response Resource Directory with links to financial support, advocacy channels, and more.

• Advocacy: Let your voice be heard with those advocating for Congress to keep the arts at the forefront of relief and support decisions.

• Readiness: ArtsReady is “an online emergency preparedness service by and for arts/cultural nonprofits with customized business continuity plans for post-crisis sustainability.”

• Community: Disrupting isolation in coming weeks is paramount. We encourage you to connect via Statera’s virtual community like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. In addition, Statera will offer multiple virtual community opportunities for Mentorship, Membership, and SWAN communities in the coming month.

Above all, we recognize that physical distance does not need to mean loss or distance of community. We continue to innovate around ways to support this community during this time and beyond.

Yours,

Melinda Pfundstein, Executive Director
& The Statera Team

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Artist Resources

Advocacy for Freelance Artists & Arts Organizers

• Covid 19 Freelance Aritst Resources, a co-created list facilitated by Hannah Fenlon, Ann Marie Lonsdale, Abigail Vega.

• Resources for the Artist Organization Field, a co-created word doc facilitated by Common Field

Social Justice Action

• Additional Resources for Facing Coronavirus by adrienne maree brown

• Art Became the Oxygen: An Artistic Response Guide created by the US Dept. of Arts & Culture (USDAC)

• Caring Accross Distance: Some Things to Consider Before Movement Gatherings During COVID-19 by Maryse Mitchell-Brody

• Coronavirus: Wisdom from a Social Justice Lens via Healing Justice

• COVID-19 Preparedness for the Arts Sector via the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness & Emergency Response

• Performing Arts Alliance, the national policy advocate, leadership forum, and learning network for America’s nonprofit performing arts organizations, artists, and allies.

For Artists who are Caregivers

• Care for your Caronavirus Anxiety via Shine Self-Care Community

• Centering People with Chronic Illness via Chronic Illness Leadership for Emergent Times (CILET)

• Supporting Artists with Families in Our COVID-19 Plans via Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL)

TRAVEL & VISA INformation FOR ARTISTS

• How the current travel bans will affect artists via Artists From Abroad

• International Artist Visa Processeing via The Performing Arts Alliance

Funding for Artists

• Comprehensive List of Funding Opportunities from 3Arts

• Emergency Grants – Foundation for Contemporary Arts 

• Emergency Grants – New York Foundation for the Arts for visual artists

• Emergency Grants – Rauschenberg Foundation 

• Emergency Grants – WomenArts 

• Emergency Relief Programs – Alliance of Artist Communities

• Emergency Grants for Visual Artists, a comprehensive list with tips

• AGMA Relief Fund, administered by The Actor’s Fund

• Actors Fund Emergency Financial Assistance (not just for actors)

• CERF+ Artist Safety Net focusing on craft artists

• Shade Literary Arts Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund 

• Local 802 Emergency Relief for musicians

• The National Writers Union Freelance Solidarity Project for writers

• I Lost My Gig

• PEN America Writers Emergency Fund for writers

• Emergency Grants – Dramatists Guild Foundation

• Emergency Funding – CERF + The Artists Safety Net

• MusiCares, a fund by The Grammys

• Missed Tour, merch for sale to support musicians

• Musicians Foundation Emergency Fund for musicians

• Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

BEST PRACTICES FOR ONLINE TEACHING, LEARNING, and GATHERING

• Accessible Teaching in the Time of COVID-19 via Mapping Access

• Distance Learning Tips via NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study

• Resources for Moving Dance-Based Pedagogy Online via Dance Studies Association

• Remote Teaching Resources a spreadsheet managed by Daniel Stanford, Director of Faculty Development & Technology Innovation, Center for Teaching and Learning, DePaul University

• Teaching Theatre Online: A Shift in Pedagogy Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak by Dr. Daphnie Sicre, Loyola Marymount University

• Teaching Theatre in an Online Format, a 21-min video offering from Michael Rohd, teacher, director, Founding Artistic Director of Sojourn Theatre Company and member of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice.

• “Ways of Gathering In the Age of COVID-19” via HowlRound

Local Resources & INfo

• BATON ROUGE Arts Council creative relief for artists during COVID-19

• MISSISSIPPI Arts Commission COVID-19 resources for the Arts Sector

• NEW YORK CITY Small Business Services Assistance and Guidance During COVID-19

• NEW YORK CITY CultureAID, a collaborative network committed to strengthening NYC’s cultural community before, during, and after disasters.

• NEW YORK STATE Council on the Arts resouces for Arts & Cultural Organizations

• SEATTLE Artist Relief Fund facilitated by Ijeoma Oluo

• SOUTH CAROLINA Arts COVID-19 Response

• WASHINGTON STATE Arts Commission is posting daily updates on COVID-19

• WEST COAST: GoFundMe Supporting Performing Artists

The #StateraWorkWeek: What's Working

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Last week StateraArts issued a bold call-to-action: transform the theatre work-week. Statera’s call to action is an invitation to interrogate and disrupt outdated scheduling practices and implement humane work week processes that support everyone in the theatre work force.

In the past few days, hundreds of theatre makers, arts administrators and leaders have responded to Statera’s call and pledged their support. They’ve also shared their stories on social media using the #StateraWorkWeek and #BalanceTheatreWorkWeek hashtags. They’ve shared strategies, successful policies, and exciting ideas about how to affect change in the American Theatre. Today, we’re sharing a few of those stories with more to follow in the weeks to come!

SOLUTIONS from the industry

“I am the Artistic Director of MN based Collide Theatrical Dance Company. We have a Parents in the Arts program that offers free onsite childcare to all our artists during rehearsals and performances. The childcare providers are all recent graduates of the Guthrie BFA program who are pursuing a performing career. We rehearse Monday- Friday 10-4 so that our artists can spend evenings and weekends with their families.” - Regina Peluso

“Minnesota Opera just tried a 5-day rehearsal week, with a half day of work, but no rehearsal (fittings, coaching Music work). This also allowed for the stage management team (of which I’m a member) to have a full work day uninterrupted to be dedicated to desk time for paperwork, meetings, etc. I will continue to champion the need for this schedule through the season at this company, and at future companies I take my work to.” - Jerry K Smith

Technicians for Change is an organization whose mission is to educate, connect, and empower entertainment technicians on workers rights and protections including reasonable pay, safer practices, and legal worker classification. Technicians for Change is actively engaging with theaters centered in Minneapolis area, gathering information about their work practices, and innovating around the nature of the theatre work-week. Connect with them HERE.

“I am one of the founders of the Re-Imagine LA Theatre Initiative, and we stand for these important changes on top of an end to wage theft in no-pay and low-pay stage work.” - Kyle Nudo

“No artist should be excluded from their art because they have chosen to have a family. At InBocca Performance, children are welcome, partners are welcome, and we create a space that is inclusive of the needs of working mothers/fathers/grandparents and other caregivers.” - Caroline Stine

“Red Octopus Theater Company has always allowed my son at rehearsals. We are always done by 9pm and are never called to rehearsal if we are not working a scene we are in. There is a full kitchen in the green room for anyone who didn't have time between work and rehearsal for meals.” - Miranda Carter

“We end rehearsals at 10, implement daytime rehearsals whenever possible and "pre-tech" the show without actors and crew (just director, lighting designer and stage manager). We put limits on rehearsal hours for directors of staged readings. Often we rehearse five days rather than six. The educational component of our theatre (classes and productions) operates by the same guidelines.” - Suzy Newman

“Pawling Theatre Exchange offer space for artistic entities in by handing them the keys and let them dictate their work schedule -- 24 hour access. We offer an extra dorm room and meals for parents/caregivers at a reduced cost. Our rehearsals for new works are 3-4 hours for the actors, allowing for the playwright/director team to work outside of the rehearsal time and to dictate their own schedule. Our spaces are all accessible.” - Tracy Liz Miller

Solutions from Training Institutions

“I have done away with the traditional Sunday Strikes. They devalue people's weekend time for a ritualized and unnecessary post closing decompression. Night work calls are prohibited in my theatres and shops. We refuse to work 10 out of 12s, even if it is the "professional standard". All technical rehearsals must happen within the confines of a 9 hour call that will include at least 45 minutes for a meal break and two 10 minute breaks.” - Zachary Stribling, University of Kentucky

“Many of our students have jobs and families to support as well as full time school schedules as well as the more obvious challenges of keeping body and soul together financially, many students of color do not feel safe rehearsing at night. I am now committed to finishing rehearsals by 9:00 and instituting afternoon and and early evening rehearsals where I can.” - Molly Noble, College of Marin

“We work in developmental stages over longer stretches (months) rather than the standard 4 weeks crunch when creating a new original piece.” -  Kate Amory, Berklee College of Music

“As a professor at Rowan University I have changed the six day a rehearsal week structure to guarantee a weekend day OFF so students can be people too. We are seeking a new standardized structure to support health and wellbeing for all!” - Michael Dean Morgan, Rowan University

“I took over the Neosho County Community College Theatre Department in 2018, and immediately made some changes.

1. Rehearsal are from 2-5pm, instead of 7-10. This means students including non-trads have their evenings free and can more easily maintain their coursework and a work/life balance with proper sleep.

2. Tech week is 2-5pm and 6-10pm. Dinner break is included and respected. Healthy snacks are provided. We always end at 10pm so proper sleep can happen.

3. We have clear and frequently stated inclusive and anti-racist policies.

4. We have limited Saturday calls and do five day work weeks as much as possible. When students are called on Saturday, both breakfast and lunch are provided. The entire production schedule is handed out at the beginning of each semester.” Tricia Stogsdill, Neosho County Community College

Individual Theatre Workers Respond

“As a freelancer, I’ve built into my schedule at least one day off per week. Even that can be hard to maintain and still make a living as one has to bounce from job to job. However I am going to be making an effort to increase my time off to two days a week regularly. Additionally, I will be keeping track of my hours specifically to show general managers what they are asking of their employees.” - Jeffrey Salerno

“I am a sound and projection designer. One of the most successful tech weeks I had was alternating 10/12s and 10am-6pm.” - Sadah Proctor

“My director has been trying to get us out of rehearsal an hour early the past few days. We've also done a few straight sixes, so that even on days when we have a production meeting, we will still be done by 5PM and home in time for a normal dinner and evening routine.” - Brianna Roche

PLEDGE TO TRANSFORM THE THEATRE WORK WEEK

Transforming the theatre work-week is essential to the health of our industry. Our work-force deserves better. They deserve to show up to this work as a whole human being. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer, but together we can affect serious change in the industry.

Commit to Statera’s call-to-action to balance the theatre work-week and let us know how we can support you by filling out the form on call to action! Thank you!

#StateraWorkWeek
#BalanceTheatreWorkWeek

The Theatre Work Week: StateraArts Calls for Industry-Wide Change

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Call to Action

StateraArts is calling for a fundamental shift in the American Theater: we need to transform the work-week.

Tell me more

Statera’s call-to-action isn't about needing larger budgets or more time, but is centered on how we choose to treat each other. The theatre work force, like all work forces, must be treated with dignity and compassion. Odd hours, long hours, short breaks, and zero flexibility upholds an industry-wide ethos of expendability and maintains supremacy structures. Statera’s call to action is an invitation to interrogate and disrupt outdated scheduling practices and implement humane work week processes that support everyone in the theatre work force.

We believe in Nataki Garrett’s assertion “that one can stay in this field, build a powerhouse organization and make your life meaningful at the same time.” But how can we serve the art form we love, grow healthy organizations, and maintain a sense of balance in our home life? Let’s start with the schedule.

Melinda Pfundstein, Statera’s Co-Founding Executive Director, spoke to this issue during her opening address on October 26th at Statera’s National Conference in NYC:

“We ask people to be the best innovators, the most creative beings, and make or facilitate great and meaningful art. We also normalize rehearsal schedules that keep us at the theatre late into the night, 6 days a week, opposite the schedules of children and partners, family dinners, or of volunteer or community engagement opportunities -- indeed, the very sources of our humanity. We glorify that strung-out, “I can’t, I have tech” mentality. As if everything else just goes away. If the goal is to do art by and for more people, then we must normalize a humane and holistic creative environment that nourishes innovation, where people can show up as their whole selves. It is time to ask, ‘why do we do the things we do?’”

During her keynote address at Statera’s National Conference, May Adrales (Associate Artistic Director of Milwaukee Rep) addressed the false assumption that the theatre must operate in way that denies access to parents and care-givers:

“But we work in the theater – Working 10 out of 12 hours and 6 out of 7 days a week is a REQUIREMENT isn’t it? But a few people are changing the system. Susan Booth at The Alliance ends her tech rehearsals at 10pm and everyone on her team is just on their game, focused and putting in quality work."

CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE

This call to action is not new, but it is time. StateraArts echoes those who’ve made this call before and we honor those organizations that are already implementing changes.

In December 2015 American Theatre, featured an excellent article by Celia Wren, “How Theatres Are Supporting Work/Life Balance,” that describes steps being taken at certain theatres and artist residencies. In her Theatre Bay Area article “Parent Artists’ Childcare Challenges”, Lisa Drostova offers some outside-of-the-box solutions for theatres looking to create a more holistic approach to supporting artists who are also care-givers.

We were very pleased to see last month's announcement from the National Theatre (UK) that they are entering a year-long trial period that will restrict 50% of their rehearsal periods to five days a week and limit the amount of time performers are called on Saturdays. This is the kind of creative thinking we are hoping to inspire across the country. 

The theatre is a people-powered industry, which means that forward movement is within our reach! We recognize that some of these changes will require innovative solutions and creative, open-hearted negotiations between workers, employers, and unions. We can do this.

There are many ways to affect positive change and create greater access in your rehearsal and tech process. Not all solutions are schedule-based, but they all benefit the personal schedules of your work force and highlight their value to the organization.

Schedule-Based Solutions

• 5-day work-week (like the one at True Colors Theatre Company)

• Increase number of tech days, reduce hours per day (as they do at East West Players)

• Scale back Saturday rehearsals (like at the National Theatre)

• Flex-time policy for staff (like the one at True Colors Theatre Company)

• Offer company members childcare during production (as does the Utah Shakespeare Festival)

• Day-time rehearsal options (as does the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival)

• Eliminate the 10 out of 12 (or at least understand the effect and cost of continual overtime on the theatre work force)

Space-Based Solutions

• Flexibility for children in the space (like at Baltimore Center Stage and as described in the NY Times article “Taking Your Child to Work, When Your Job is Making Theatre”)

• Invite families to be a part of the work (as they do at SPACE on Ryder Farm)

• Offer a privacy room (like the one at Cleveland Playhouse)

• Inclusion initiatives for care-givers ( like the ones created by the Parent Artist Advocacy League and implemented by Playwrights Realm)

Policy-based solutions

• Ask your work-force about their access needs and then respond to them (as Adriana Gaviria posits in her article “Don’t Tell Anyone—A Call to Action for a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Arts”

• Implement organization-wide anti-racist practices (as outline in Nicole Brewer’s article, “Parents of Color and The Need For Anti-Racist Theatre Practices”)

Transforming the theatre work-week is essential to the health of our industry. Our work-force deserves better. They deserve to show up to this work as a whole human being. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer, but together we can affect serious change in the industry.

Commit to Statera’s call-to-action and let us know how we can support you by filling out the form below:

Pledge to Transform the Theatre Work Week

Please share this call to action and encourage others to pledge their support using the hashtags:

#StateraWorkWeek
#BalanceTheatreWorkWeek

2019 Statera Year In Review

2019 is almost over and we at StateraArts offer a warm and heartfelt thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, staff, and supporters who helped move forward our mission to create pathways that bring women and non-binary people into full and equal participation in the arts. We are so proud of the work that has been accomplished. As we embark on 2020, anticipating the most momentous year of Statera growth, we renew our commitment to disrupting isolation in the arts industry and creating pathways to greater opportunity and access.

Thank you for making 2019 an expansive and exciting year at StateraArts. For those of you who love a good list, here’s a breakdown of some of our collective efforts:

• We are thrilled that Statera Mentorship chapters have exploded across the United States. In 2020, Statera launches mentorship classes in 16 regions nationwide!

• Awarded over $10,000 in support to artists and arts organizations

• We hosted our fourth National Conference in New York City, with touchstone addresses from theatre and film luminaries like May Adrales and Joanna Gleason

• Organized International SWAN Day, which boasted over 200 women-led arts events

• We expanded our free resource directory to include Disability Justice Resources, Trans & Non-Binary Artist Resources, and Parent Artists Resources.

• Opened new office headquarters in the arts district of Cedar City

• Began an incredible partnership with the Parent Artist Advocacy League and co-sponsored a Childcare Match Grant, which was awarded to New Harmony Project

• Beta-tested a leadership and inclusion workshop called the Statera Exchange with The Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN

• Presented at the Andromeda’s Sisters Arts Advocacy Gala in East Hampton, NY hosted by the Neo-Political Cowgirls

• Presented at the Women in Classical Music Symposium at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

• Completed our inaugural year of Statera Membership - a community for anyone interested in advancing their art careers through the lens of intersectional gender-parity

As we look back at 2019, we are humbled and awed the contributions of our community. Your drive and energy inspires us every day. You are our WHY.

From all of us at StateraArts, thank you.

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Statera Welcomes New Team Members in 2020

Left to right: Sabrina Cofield, Kelcey Anyá, and Courtney McMullin.

The Statera Team is expanding in 2020!

We are thrilled to welcome three new additions to StateraArts. Each of these phenomenal people bring a huge heart for Statera’s mission-driven work, inclusive strategies for how to best implement programming, and a talent for joyful collaboration.

SABRINA COFIELD (She/her)

Statera’s newest hire is Sabrina Cofield, who joins the Executive Team as Interim Development Director. “Statera’s mission lives in Sabrina,” says Executive Director Melinda Pfundstein. “She has served as a Statera Ambassador for the past two years, presented at StateraCon, and helped develop program content in 2019. Collaborating with Sabrina is always like picking up a conversation we have been having since before we all met. Just simpatico.”

Sabrina Cofield, Interim Development Director

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sabrina Cofield holds a B.A. in Journalism from Clark Atlanta University and went on to work in television news where she earned a Southern Regional Emmy Award for her work as a news producer, reporter and anchor.

Sabrina is a multi-faceted artist, having followed many creative avenues. From the owner of Selah, a creative art salon and shared workspace for women, to a magazine editor — Sabrina is always looking for ways to expand and grow in her art and encourage others to do the same. She is also an award-winning fitness competitor.

Sabrina currently works as an actor, model, spokesperson, and host with a long list of commercials, print advertisements, films, and stage productions under her belt. Sabrina is a 2016 NBC Diversity Hosting Program graduate and sits on the board of The LAB-LV, an immersive experimental theater company in Las Vegas. She is also the co-founder of The Tobias Project, an outreach program aimed at bridging the gap between the community and local service organizations.

Sabrina says, "To be able to do work that is so important and impactful is a gift.  I am honored to be creating and building with the incredible women of Statera and extremely excited to join the Executive Team as we expand in new and meaningful ways." 

Kelcey Anya’, StateraArts Ambassador

Kelcey Anyá (She/her)

We are so excited that Kelcey Anyá has joined StateraArts as part of the Ambassador team. Kelcey’s joy and energy for arts advocacy is palpable and contagious! She says, “When we come together and share our stories, when we collectively use our voices to take up space together; that is when we are at our highest, truest, most powerful selves. #IAmStatera because community is just so damn important! My heart thrives and beats for the performing arts! I want it all and I won't stop until I get it. As a Black woman, it is my personal mission to have our voices heard from the rooftops and make the arts accessible to young Black girls around the world! This is my journey to Female Empowerment and World Domination! Strap in and enjoy the ride.”

Kelcey is a multi-disciplinary performing artist hailing from the bayous of South Louisiana. She holds a Master's of Arts in Theatre, Performance and Practice with certificates in both teaching and Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies from Miami University (Oxford, OH).

Kelcey resides in New York City where she currently works as a Teaching Artist with Girl Be Heard, a Brooklyn based organization seeking to create socially conscious theatre artists in Black and Brown girls. She is also an acting coach and production manager with New York Star Club.

Courtney McMullin, Executive Assistant

Courtney McMullin (She/her)

Courtney McMullin is joining Statera as Executive Assistant. Courtney is an actor, singer, pianist, and vocal coach from Southern Utah. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance.

Following graduation, she created The Traveling Music Studio. Providing private voice lessons to aspiring youth in the Southern Utah Area, she emphasizes healthy vocal habits that are grounded in active, driven storytelling.

In 2018 she was a Utah Shakespeare Fellow, and created and performed original vocal compositions for The Merchant of Venice.

Courtney says, “Networking, collaborating, and community building make up important pieces of who I am as an artist and I am proud to join the StateraArts team.”

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Creating Pathways on #GivingTuesday

Today is the perfect time to GIVE!
You can make a difference in the lives of women artists
by making a donation to StateraArts.

StateraArts is creating pathways that bring women* into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera is a grassroots gender parity movement built by individual repeat donors like you.

Thank you for choosing to give.

Statera is on Break from September 7-15

Statera is going on vacation! We're taking a cue from our own vision statement -- Statera normalizes a humane and holistic creative environment that nourishes innovation -- and taking a week-long break. We love our team and they need some down-time before starting final preparations for conference! We'll be back in the office on September 15th!

While we're gone, you can still make use of our website:

Register for conference >>>

Submit your membership application >>>

Subscribe to the Statera Newsletter >>>

Consult our free resource directories >>>

Make a donation to StateraArts >>>

Statera Moves Into New Office Headquarters

StateraArts is an organization with international reach, but its roots are in Cedar City, Utah. Executive Director Melinda Pfundstein conceived of and co-founded StateraArts in Southern Utah and Cedar City was the location of Statera’s inaugural conference in 2015. So its fitting that Statera has chosen the downtown arts district of Cedar City as the location for their new offices.

StateraArts team members in front of the new office. From left to right: Sarah Greenman, Melinda Pfundstein, Sabrina Cofield, and Kate St. Pierre.

StateraArts Cedar City office.

“We have dreamt of a brick and mortar space since our founding,” says Executive Director Melinda Pfundstein. “This location is alive with the creative spark, be it art, great food, good wine, and the bustle and energy of people connecting around all of it.”

In an effort to create community and connect with local artisans, Statera has opened their offices for special collaborations with Art Works Gallery and Red Acre Farm, a local women-led organic farm and CSA in Cedar City.

Pfundstein says, “We are so lucky to have Red Acre Farm feature Pop Up Cafe’s in our space every Thursday and during Final Friday Art Walks. And our walls are lined with rotating pieces by women artists, provided by Art Works Gallery next door. We are absolutely surrounded by innovation and beauty, and already feel right at home.”

Statera’s new neighbors also include Artisans Gallery, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Southern Utah Museum of Art, Park Place Eatery, The French Spot, The Grind Coffee House, Centro Woodfired Pizza, Pastry Pub, IG Winery, the Cedar City Arts Council, Cedar’s red mountain, and more.

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Are you in Cedar City today?
Join us for lunch from 11am - 1:30pm for the Red Acre Farm Pop-Up Cafe!
18 N. 100 W | Cedar City, UT

Sophie Dowllar Ogutu to Receive 2019 Visionary Leadership Award from StateraArts

Sophie Dowllar Ogutu during Statera's 2018 SWAN Day Convening in Milwaukee.

StateraArts has named Sophie Dowllar Ogutu as the 2019 recipient of the Martha Richards Visionary Leadership Award. Sophie is a mother, an unapologetic women's rights defender, a community mobilizer and organizer, and above all - a feminist artist. She is a key coordinator of The 5 C's Theatre Collective, co-founder of the Mamma Africa Community Centre, a board member of the Kenya Community Media Network (KCOMNET), a mentor with the Girl’s Brigade, and the principal organizer for SWAN Day Kenya. Sophie is also an International Committee Member for the World March of Women, which has led to collaborations with the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.

This award, established in Martha Richards’ name, is given annually to a visionary woman or non-binary leader who uplifts, amplifies, and advances marginaliized artists. StateraArts established this award to recognize outstanding leaders and support the work of women and non-binary leaders who are creating pathways for others. StateraArts is honored to highlight the extraordinary achievements of leaders providing powerful role models for mentorship and intersectional equity. The recipient is nominated by the public and chosen by committee. The award comes with international recognition and a monetary prize.

StateraArts will officially deliver the award to Sophie Dowllar Ogutu on Sunday, October 27 during a ceremony at Statera’s National Conference in New York City.

FROM SOPHIE:

“I appreciate, value, and respect people, and I love working with everyone. In my art-ivism, I work a lot with diverse communities, a rare opportunity that makes the arts space special and unique. Born and raised in a happy and loving family of 10, we learned to love and cherish any opportunity that comes along the way. I started my art journey as a teen, acting in church. When I graduated from high school in 1995, the first opportunity to prosper in life, was in an arts space. It was a radical, political space, and too much for a young girl, but given my background, I continued to strive. This shaped me and helped me choose the arts path. That opportunity made me who I am today. I continue working with women in arts and will always support wherever I can. The role that arts play as a medium for communication, has enabled me to reach many vulnerable hearts of women seeking ways to share and talk about their plights. Women in the arts remains my number one form of interaction and connection to those many hearts.”

Sophie Dowllar Ogutu speaking during a human rights march.

Sophie and Lydiah Dola (far right) with Yasmin Ruvalcaba Saludado and Jane Vogel of Advance Gender Equity in the Arts.

QUOTES FROM SOPHIE’S NOMINATIONS:

“Given the complex reality of gender inequality, factors that render women most liable to discrimination are not always easily identifiable, but through the SWAN platform, Sophie has created panels where women in the arts have talked about their forms of discrimination in their work as women artists, and continue to seek alternatives to those problems / challenges through active participation of women artists.”

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“Despite huge personal challenges Sophie has been the driving force behind SWAN day in Kenya for over a decade and shows altruism and compassion in all she does. In a culture steeped in patriarchy and corruption she is a beacon of honesty and courageously stands up for women’s rights in particular through theatre and the arts. She has been working for change ever since I first met her when she was an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience.”

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“Everything Sophie does is WOMEN-centered. She introduced international grassroots feminist women to us here in Kenya. She also introduced SWAN Day Festival. She believes in empowering women. She truly is a believer of women's advancement and true empowerment.”

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“Sophie gives women the courage to stand for themselves. Networks have been created to ensure that women can not only engage in business but also support one another emotionally and socially. She helps women become a sister's keeper and their wellbeing has become strengthened through this.”

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“We have walked the 5Cs journey together and I’ve seen Sophie champion the rights of many. She seizes every opportunity to empower women artists. Now with the SWAN Day platform, we see even more opportunities created through creatives. Sophie is one resilient person.”

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“Sophie’s theatre collective, the 5Cs, which is a women led human rights group, is one of the most progressive groups with community social change approaches.”

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“I work in a UK university surrounded by inspirational women but Sophie is at an entirely different level.”

“Sophie is a committed feminist in a patriarchal society. We set up Mamma Africa Community Centre as a small charity supporting rural women around Lake Victoria. This gave them access to training to become better at whatever they chose: to learn from agricultural practices, first aid, the arts, or technology. The project has developed based on the analysis that the culturally encouraged lack of confidence in women is what holds women back from developing their potential and that trained women can look at evidence of competence to build their confidence one bit at a time. Sophie has been the driving force.”

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“The radical leadership style that Sophie brought, even with a lot of opposition at first, she continued with so much love. She never gave up and has never discriminated against anyone. This has opened up a lot of space for young women and they enjoy being part of the change we all yearn to see.”

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“Sophie organizes with so much passion and amazing zeal.”

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“The arts community served by Sophie because of her popular progressive theatre for social change. It has positively impacted the lives of many, especially young people, who otherwise are the "forgotten bracket”. She creates community theatre that provokes minds to bring about change.”

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“In Kenya ‘pathways’ for the arts do not exist unless you belong to a small group of privileged people. But Sophie creates opportunities to perform and to be recognized and celebrated for your talents.”

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“Since 1995, the 5C Human Rights Theatre has been doing progressive, interactive and open participatory theatre pieces for social change.”

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“Sophie is selfless in her endeavors to support women all over and empower them to become holistically strong. She has come to the rescue of battered women. She has cried out when human rights activists have been murdered or jailed or gone missing. She is a tower of strength and a beacon of light to many.”

Statera Celebrates Successful $25K Fundraising Match

StateraArts is celebrating this week, because YOU helped us reach our fundraising goal of $25,000! Deep gratitude goes out to all of our volunteers, our incredible donors, and to everyone who participated in our #WhyDoYouStatera campaign.

Also, a huge thank you to Torie Wiggins, Vanessa DeSilvio, Chris Sanders, Valerie Rachelle, Brenda Jean Foley, Maggie Rogers, Jackie Vanderbeck, and Kelcey Anyá who participated in our Statera Community Conversation series. You have our thanks and our deepest admiration.

And thank you to our indefatigable champion Martha Richards of WomenArts who matched your donations dollar for dollar, bringing Statera’s fundraising total to $50,000. Nonprofit fundraising can be a serious slog, but you - our incredible community - make this work so meaningful and gratifying. This has been a humbling and powerful campaign. Thank you for fitting social change into your budget and for choosing to make StateraArts your home. We are so glad you’re here.

#WhyDoYouStatera continues!

10 More Days to Reach $25,000

As of this afternoon, the Statera community has raised almost $20,000 towards our $25K goal! Thank you to everyone who has contributed! Statera’s midyear giving campaign ends on August 15th, and we need your help.

Most of Statera’s work for gender parity and equity in the arts is done through volunteer hours, innovative grassroots movement, and sheer will. But its also achieved by individual donations big and small.

We’re thrilled that Martha Richards of WomenArts has come forward with a $25,000 matching gift as part of our mid-year giving campaign. This is an enormous opportunity for StateraArts to renew our dynamic programming, dig deeper, and continue providing pathways forward for women in the arts.

We can’t do it without you.

We have ten more days to meet our $25,000 goal. Let’s do it! Give $5. Give $10. Give what you can. No gift is too small. Every dollar will be matched. Whatever your reason, now is the time to contribute at www.stateraarts.org/donate.

#WhyDoYouStatera

International Mother Artist Day is August 2nd

Mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate! International Mother Artist Day is Friday, August 2nd! Originally founded by the Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) and the Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival (PWTF), International Mother Artis Day is a time to celebrate and support mother artists everywhere!

In a recent PAAL blog post, Executive Director Rachel Spencer Hewitt says, “The goal of International Mother Artists Day is to form community and find strength in relationship. We network to increase opportunity and gather resources, and from those joys we can create art, opportunity, and supportive solutions.”

Origins of International Mother Artist Day

In 2018, the PAAL joined forces with the Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival for the first Motherhood Reading Festival, which featured four days of four mother directors, four mother playwrights, themes that integrated motherhood, and theatre programming for children on-site simultaneously with the reading series for parents to be able to attend with their families.

During the 2018 festival brainstorming sessions, one of the initiatives floated was “International Mother Artist Day,” where the hashtag #intlmotherartistday was used across the world on social media to celebrate the mother artists we are, the mother artists we know, and/or the mother artists who inspire us – all on one, explosive, empowering, and united thread.

More about Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival

The 2019 Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival is happening August 1-4 at the Arden Theatre Company at the Hamilton Family Arts Center. PWTF fosters and encourages women in the performing arts by offering unique opportunities for exposure, professional, artistic and personal development and a platform for performance. For the full schedule, please visit www.phillywomenstheatrefest.org/2019-festival.

Get Involved!

Join PAAL, PWTF, StateraArts, and countless other arts organizations on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter by celebrating yourself, a mother artist you know, and/or a mother artist who inspires you! We’d also love to know your insight as an ally or parent to the reality of being a mother artist. Thank you for supporting parents, for celebrating with us, and for looking out for ways to change the way the world for the better for mother artists everywhere. See you there!

CLICK THIS IMAGE TO REPOST AND SPREAD THE WORD!

 To tag and get a repost, copy+paste and include this line for Instagram:
#intlmotherartistday @paaltheatre @phillywomenstheatrefest

To tag and get a retweet, copy+paste and include this line for Twitter:
#intlmotherartistday @paaltheatre @womensthtrfest

To tag and get a share, copy+paste and include this line for Facebook:
#intlmotherartistday @paaltheatre @philadelphiawomenstheatrefest

Our Goal: 1000 Donors Strong

StateraArts is moving mountains. In our first four years we have:

• Hosted 3 national conferences

• Launched 12 Mentorship Chapters nationwide, with 10 in development for 2020

• Matched over 450 mentors and mentees

• Hosted International SWAN Day 2019 with events in 36 countries

• Awarded $8,650 in support grants for women artists

• Hosted a living resource directory

Most of our work for gender parity and equity in the arts is done through volunteer hours, innovative grassroots movement, and sheer will. But its also achieved by individual donations big and small.

We’re thrilled that Martha Richards of WomenArts has come forward with a $25,000 matching gift as part of our mid-year giving campaign. This is an enormous opportunity for StateraArts to renew our dynamic programming, dig deeper, and continue providing pathways forward for women in the arts. We need your help now.

The StateraArts community is a force of nature, consisting of thousands of artists and arts leaders nationwide. Whether you're donating because of our national mentorship program, our incredible conferences, our free resource directory, our membership program, our workshops on radical inclusion, our curated industry information on social media, International SWAN Day, or our advocacy work for equal pay and access for women and non-binary artists, your donation will be matched, dollar for dollar!

If 1,000 people donate $25 each by August 15th, we'll easily meet our goal!
Whatever your reason, now is the time to contribute at www.stateraarts.org/donate.

#WhyDoYouStatera

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Why Do You Statera?

Dear Statera Community,

I Statera. The verb. I am Statera. I am balance, yes. But I also create balance. I build pathways. I am a pathway. I disrupt oppressive systems. I innovate solutions. Yes, I take up space and hold the door open for those behind me, but I also kick the door down for women around me to do the same. For me. For you. For longevity and relevance of the arts, which I love. For my three daughters.

#WhyDoYouStatera?

We are asking the growing Statera community to share about what it means to be a woman today. What messages do you receive about being a woman. About women around you? How do you disrupt oppressive systems?

Common themes arise. Whether told directly or implied, the message has been that women must play small, be quiet, and compete for space and opportunity. The result? A common feeling of being alone in the journey.

We believe that isolation is a lie. Statera consciously chooses community and collaboration over competition. We actively create pathways for women artists to advancement and full participation in the arts.

Today we launch our second $25,000 matching gift campaign thanks to the trust and generosity of Martha Richards and WomenArts. Every dollar is doubled. Every dollar counts.

Three ways to give.
100% of all donations directly serve Statera programs:

1. Visit StateraArts on Facebook

2. Visit our website at www.stateraarts.org/donate

3. Send a check to:
   StateraArts
   755 S. Main St., Ste. 4 #281
   Cedar City, UT 84720

Isolation is a lie. We invite you to help us prove it.

Yours in Statera, (balance)

Melinda (she/her)
Executive Director

Supporting and donating to StateraArts is deeply personal. We all have our reasons for being a part of the Statera community. This summer, we’re asking that you share your “why” with us. Why are you an agent of change in the gender parity movement? Tell us why you support StateraArts. What about the Statera community feeds your soul? Why does gender equity in the arts matter to you? Why Do You Statera?

Share your story on social media using #WhyDoYouStatera.

Share a photo on social media of you and your work
in the arts with a story using #WhyDoYouStatera.

Highlights of Statera at Andromeda's Sisters Arts Advocacy Gala

StateraArts believes in collaboration over competition and we actively seek opportunities to partner with organizations that are creating pathways for advancement for women in the arts.

Last weekend StateraArts joined The Neo-Political Cowgirls (NPC) theatre collective at the historic John Drew theatre at Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York for the final day of their annual Andromeda’s Sisters Arts & Advocacy Gala. The incredible people behind NPC are doing such exciting and important work to create gender balance in arts on Long Island. The StateraArts team was honored to participate.

During our time at Andromeda’s Sisters, Statera’s Operations Director Sarah Greenman, facilitated a creative writing and advocacy workshop which was attended by local artists, writers, activists, community partners, and philanthropists. Greenman was also interviewed by NPC’s Artistic Director, Kate Mueth, followed by a Q & A with attendees.

Thank you to Kate Mueth and the Neo-Political Cowgirls for inviting StateraArts to facilitate Day 2 of Andromeda’s Sisters! Below, you’ll find some snapshots from the event.

Statera workshop participants on Day 2 of Andromeda’s Sisters.

Statera workshop participants share their writing.

Blythe Danner during a play reading on Day 1.

Laura Gomez during a play reading on Day 1.

Workshop participants on Day 2.

Sarah Greenman (left) and Kate Mueth (right).