Young Migrants Build New Lives Through Theater

Cafe Euphoria in Troy, N.Y. operates on a cooperative model in which all employees are paid the same wage and are offered an ownership stake in the business. The company is founded on a social mission to create a safe space for trans and gender nonconforming people and promotes equity through a 3:1 sliding scale for its menu and thrift shop, with 94% of customers opting to pay the top-end price of the scale.

Research has found that physical movement, such as dance, can be an affective treatment and rehabilitation for people with Parkinson’s Disease. The Dance Well Initiative brings people with Parkinson’s, as well as community members, together to stage dance performances in gallery spaces as treatment and a creative response to the surrounding art.

Environments designed with soundscapes and visual art help to reduce anxiety and pain. In London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has noted a marked improvement in patient experience, including decreased pain and even a reduction in the time women spent in labor, in the presence of artistic installations. Other hospitals in the UK report similar benefits.

A more diverse theater scene requires arts and culture organizations that embrace and reflect communities of color. In Detroit, Michigan, the nonprofit Black and Brown Theatre works to eliminate barriers for actors of color. The organization fosters a supportive network, casting actors, directors, and staff from communities of color in the Detroit area. Still, disparities in access to funding for arts organizations focused on racial minorities remain a challenge.

What started as a form of therapy turned into a business venture for this group of moms. The aim was to “empower mothers through art” and now they are selling their pieces for a profit.

The Spanish-Language Community Advisory Network works with a performing arts center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, to bring in Latino audiences by showing culturally-relevant films, reducing language barriers, and even inviting the films’ cast and crew to the screenings.

ROC USA helps residents of manufactured home communities form co-ops to purchase the property their homes are built on, giving residents more stability and control over where they live. The organization has helped create 312 manufactured home communities in 21 states since 2008.

Sin Título started as a socially conscious clothing brand but has since evolved into a mutli-faceted brand that hosts mental health discussion panels and other events that aim to amplify marginalized voices and offer healing opportunities for the local Latinx population. One such event is their journaling series, the first of which, “Self Love Journal Club,” attracted about 100 people.

The Diné Naazbaa Partnership (DNP) serves Navajo Nation veterans, connecting them with food, medication, transportation and other necessities, as they’re more likely to be unemployed and far less likely to use or apply for VA services. The DNP has connected with about 1,228 of the 14,700 veterans on the Navajo Nation and has partnered with 370 groups to fund projects that provide housing improvements and emergency financial aid to veterans.

The South Side Queer Farmer Convergence provides culturally-affirming community gatherings that effectively reduce isolation, promote emotional healing, and foster mental wellbeing for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC farmers facing significant social stressors and discrimination.