The New Jersey Theater Alliance and ArtPride New Jersey 2024 Conference celebrates unprecedented success

The New Jersey Theater Alliance and ArtPride New Jersey reported an outstanding success of their 2024 Creating Change Conference, held October 23 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.

This year’s conference, themed “Disrupt, Engage, Imagine,” brought together a vibrant community of arts leaders, advocates and artists for a powerful day celebrating a shared commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in New Jersey’s arts landscape.

The carefully curated schedule included a dynamic mix of keynote speeches, breakout sessions and performances designed to inspire and energize attendees. The day began with a moving keynote experience led by Cassandra Lam, founder of The Cosmos, who introduced “Collective Rest” as a path to self-care and community healing. Her session invited participants to explore the need for rest as a form of resistance and recovery and left a deep impression on all participants.

Sofiya Cheyenne, the second keynote speaker, then gave a compelling talk based on her experiences as an artist and disability rights advocate. In her address, she emphasized the importance of diverse storytelling to amplify the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the arts. Participants were inspired by her call to create accessible and inclusive spaces across all platforms.

Following the keynote sessions in the morning, the participants dispersed for exciting breakout sessions. Each session was designed to address pressing issues in the arts through the lens of equity and community impact. Topics included “Building Inclusive Health Partnerships in the Arts,” “The Intersection of Economic Growth and Social Justice in the Arts,” and “Embedding Accessibility in Creative Practices.” Hosted by thought leaders from diverse fields, these sessions provided actionable insights and fostered meaningful dialogue, equipping participants with innovative strategies they could bring to their own organizations.

The conference also featured captivating performances from a number of acclaimed New Jersey artists, each bringing a unique perspective to the conference’s theme. Zina Ogunnaya concluded the day with an energetic performance that left attendees inspired and eager to continue Creating Change’s work. Other performers included award-winning spoken word poet Jasmine Mans, whose performance connected personal narratives with broader social issues, and acclaimed dance group 10 Hairy Legs, whose powerful piece illuminated questions of masculinity and identity. Together, these performances served as a living embodiment of the conference’s mission and stimulated further reflection and conversation among participants.

John McEwen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Theater Alliance, commented on the day’s success: “Creating Change 2024 was a transformative experience. We witnessed the arts community come together with unprecedented enthusiasm and focus, building on shared values ​​and advancing important conversations. This conference has strengthened our commitment to equity, access and inclusion.”

The day concluded with a powerful call to action from Donna Walker-Kuhne, Senior Advisor for EDI at NJPAC, who urged the arts community to continue working toward a fairer, more accessible landscape. Their words were well received by the participants and were a fitting conclusion to an event characterized by determination, innovation and hope.

Erica Nagel, associate director of the New Jersey Theater Alliance, emphasized the depth and breadth of the conference offerings: “The speakers and sessions brought new perspectives and encouraged us to think boldly about what an inclusive arts landscape might look like.” Creating Change 2024 provided both inspiration and also concrete tools for change and reaffirmed our commitment to justice and engagement.”

About the New Jersey Theater Alliance:

Founded in 1981, the New Jersey Theater Alliance (the Alliance) is the only national service organization for professional, nonprofit theater companies in the United States and is a leader in developing model programs that unite, promote, strengthen and cultivate professional theater in New Jersey. The Alliance advances the theater community by developing innovative, collaborative and engaging programs and services for member theaters and their diverse audiences. The Alliance envisions a field that is thriving, collaborative, and equitable for artists, administrators, member theaters, organizations, and audiences.

Funding for the New Jersey Theater Alliance, a nonprofit 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 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 FM Kirby Foundation, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance and OceanFirst Foundation.

About ArtPride New Jersey:

ArtPride is the voice of New Jersey’s art community. As the state’s largest arts services and advocacy organization, we work to maintain funding and advance policies that invest in the arts across all sectors. The important research we provide advances 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 happening in our state’s arts scene and help increase attendance. The services we offer keep the industry up to date on industry trends and promote collaboration between our hundreds of member organizations.

Widely recognized as a destination for research, innovative programs and services, and impactful advocacy, we are proud to support the work of our vibrant creative community.

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