New Jersey Theatre Alliance and ArtPride New Jersey's 2024 Conference Celebrates Unprecedented Success

The New Jersey Theatre Alliance and ArtPride New Jersey has reported outstanding success of its 2024 Creating Change conference, held on October 23 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts.

This year's conference, themed "Disrupt, Engage, Imagine," united a vibrant community of arts leaders, advocates, and artists for an impactful day that celebrated shared commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within New Jersey's arts landscape.

The carefully curated schedule featured a dynamic mix of keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and performances designed to inspire and energize participants. The day began with a moving keynote experience led by Cassandra Lam, founder of The Cosmos, who introduced "Collective Rest" as a pathway for self-care and community healing. Her session invited participants to explore the necessity of rest as a form of resistance and restoration, leaving a deep impression on all who attended.

Sofiya Cheyenne, the second keynote speaker, followed with a compelling talk that drew from her experiences as an artist and disability rights advocate. In her address, she highlighted the importance of diverse storytelling to amplify the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the arts. Attendees were inspired by her call to create accessible and inclusive spaces across all platforms.

Following the morning's keynote sessions, attendees dispersed into engaging breakout sessions. Each session was designed to address pressing issues in the arts through a 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.” Facilitated by thought leaders from various sectors, these sessions provided actionable insights and fostered meaningful dialogue, leaving participants equipped with innovative strategies to bring back to their own organizations.

The conference also featured captivating performances from a lineup of celebrated New Jersey-based artists, each of whom brought a unique perspective to the conference's theme. Zina Ogunnaya closed the day with a high-energy performance that left attendees inspired and eager to continue the work of Creating Change. Additional artists included award-winning spoken word poet Jasmine Mans, whose performance blended personal narrative with broader social themes, and acclaimed dance troupe 10 Hairy Legs, whose powerful piece highlighted issues of masculinity and identity. Together, these performances served as living embodiments of the conference's mission and sparked further reflection and conversation among attendees.

John McEwen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, reflected on the day's success: “Creating Change 2024 was a transformative experience. We witnessed the arts community coming together with unmatched enthusiasm and focus, building on shared values and advancing vital conversations. This conference has energized our commitment to equity, access, and inclusion.”

The day concluded with a powerful call to action by Donna Walker-Kuhne, Senior Advisor for EDI at NJPAC, who challenged the arts community to continue building toward a fairer, more accessible landscape. Her words were echoed by participants and served as a fitting end to an event marked by purpose, innovation, and hope.

Erica Nagel, Deputy Director of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, highlighted the depth and breadth of the conference's offerings: “The speakers and sessions brought new perspectives, encouraging us to think boldly about what an inclusive arts landscape could look like. Creating Change 2024 provided both inspiration and tangible tools for change, reinforcing our commitment to equity and engagement.”

About New Jersey Theatre Alliance:

Founded in 1981, New Jersey Theatre Alliance (the Alliance) is the only statewide service organization for professional, not-for-profit theatre companies in the United States, and is a leader in developing model programs that unite, promote, strengthen, and cultivate professional theatre in New Jersey. The Alliance advances the theatre community by developing innovative, collaborative, and engaging programs and services for member theatres and their diverse audiences. The Alliance envisions a field that is flourishing, collaborative, and equitable for artists, administrators, member theatres, organizations, and audiences.

Funding for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit 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 of the 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 F.M. Kirby Foundation, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, and OceanFirst Foundation.

About ArtPride New Jersey:

ArtPride is the voice of New Jersey's arts community. As the state's largest arts service and advocacy organization, we work to preserve funding and advance policies that invest in the arts across all sectors. The vital research we furnish promotes 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 going on in our state's arts scene and help increase attendance. The services we provide keep the field up-to-date on industry trends and foster collaboration among our hundreds of member organizations.

Widely viewed as the go-to source for research, innovative programs and services, and high-impact advocacy, we are proud to support the work of our vibrant creative community.

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