Creative Placemaking

Play House is a collectively stewarded performance space near the border of Detroit and Hamtramck that has become a place of convening and creation for the neighborhood. Richard Newman, a co-manager of the space and co-director of The Hinterlands ensemble, traces connections between creative practice, community, grief, and an outdoor ramp at Play House.

Rika Iino and Marc Bamuthi Joseph talk about the way trust and transparency have shown up in their work, both individually and as a duo, and how theatre practitioners and organizations can use those elements to work towards a more equitable future.

Kofoworola Owokotomo shares the theatre for development processes she undertook with a team of students to tackle issues of drug abuse, tribalism, and poor attitudes towards education in two Nigerian communities.

Jen Marlowe shares how her documentary play There Is A Field became a framework for exploring Black-Palestinian solidarity.

Teresa Coleman Wash reflects on how the current state of affairs has fueled an urgency to interrogate all systems of oppression and argues that it’s past time to stop holding Eurocentric theatres up as the pinnacle of success.

Ragnhild Freng Dale questions what it means to talk about theatre, politics, and activism at a time when we all isolate our bodies from those of others.

Mihai Mateiu discusses his trajectory as an arts organizer in Cluj, from open-air music festivals to running a bookshop and cultural venue, to working to build arts audiences by partnering with businesses.

Isaac Mafuel talks about Malawi’s most prevalent form of theatre, its history, and its impact and challenges.

Playwright Gab Reisman discusses writing a play about climate change and moving toward a model of collective accountability and civic action.

Zach Donovan discusses how the Shed—the state-of-the-art arts complex in New York City’s recent real estate development, Hudson Yards—has become a point of contention in the downtown theatre community.

Jordan Schwartz discusses gentrification in developing neighborhoods, how artists moving in need to work with the existing communities, and what kind of change that can bring about.

verity healey looks at how refugees in Paris are using theatre to create connections, break down barriers, and find community.

Dr. Friederike Landau and Christophe Knoch explore artist activism in Berlin, detailing the purpose of the Koalition der Freien Szene and weaving in thoughts from the city’s senator for culture and Europe, Dr. Klaus Lsderer.