BREAKING BARRIERS: Community Leaders Convene For Roundtable Discussion On The Arts And Inclusion

Florida Studio Theatre (FST), Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative (SBAC), and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County partnered to host a round table conversation on Monday, November 13, centered on how local arts organizations can better engage with under-represented students and families in Sarasota.

Members of organizations representing students and families of African descent, Black community leadership, and leaders of arts organizations met to discuss ways that the groups could collaborate and provide programs for young people of color in the future.

“Art is a powerful instrument to communicate, educate, and unify,” said Michéle des Verney Redwine, Founder & Executive Director of the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative. “Monday's ‘courageous conversations' created an opportunity for arts and cultural leaders, Black community leaders, and leaders engaged in Newtown organizations to work together closely to cultivate programming for youth. We believe anything is possible when our voices join to create a pipeline to experience the arts. We looked hard at real-life challenges, provoked and questioned and ultimately, explored transformative solutions in the arts for our under-represented communities.”

The event opened with remarks from Michéle des Verney Redwine, Kate Alexander (FST's Associate Director At-Large), and Marsha Haygood, a motivational speaker, empowerment coach, and best-selling author who served as the event's facilitator.  Following these remarks, attendees broke out into different rooms to discuss how under-represented members of the Sarasota community could be more involved with various arts and cultural organizations. Participants also talked about ways that the arts can nurture youth and inspire community curiosity.

After two hours of dialogue, guests reconvened in FST's Keating Theatre to share the results of their discussion. The event came to a close with short speeches by Roxie Jerde (President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County) and Michéle des Verney Redwine.

This round table discussion was the fifth event in the SBAC's Arts & Racial Justice Discovery Series. The first three events were held virtually and the fourth event was held at Florida Studio Theatre on October 4, 2021, and was titled “The Black Experience in the Arts in Higher Education.” For more information about the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative and its programs, please visit https://suncoastblackartscollaborative.org/

List of organziations that were represented at this event

ABC 7 WWSB

ALSO Youth

Amaryllis Park Neighborhood Association

Asolo Repertory Theatre

Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County

Black Community Working Together, Inc.

Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and Desoto Counties

Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota – Newtown

Choral Artists of Sarasota

Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Florida Studio Theatre

Hermitage Artist Retreat

Manasota Association for the Study of African American Life and History

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition

Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College

Sarasota Contemporary Dance

Sarasota Housing Authority

Sarasota Opera

Truly Valued, Inc.

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Venice Theatre

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
WSLR+Fogartyville

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is Sarasota's contemporary theatre. Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five theatres located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact— providing intimate and engaging settings for high-quality, professional performances.

Today, FST has established itself as a major force in American Theatre. FST is the largest subscription theatre in the state of Florida and among the largest in the country, serving more than 225,000 live attendees each year across its diverse programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children's Theatre, Improv, The FST School, and New Play Development.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. Hip and historical, entertaining and challenging, we are where everyone is welcome to engage in the art of theatre.

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