Ensemble Liberation Lab

The Ensemble Liberation Lab (ELL) is one way foolsFURY is answering the question “How do we break the model?” By uplifting emerging leaders we’re supporting innovative models of community-building, advocacy and policy making at the live edge of discourse, which benefits individual artists, the art we make and the entire field of theater. We created ELL to interrogate oppressive practices, center human relationships and empower those least heard.

• 1st Cohort: FoolsFURY is proud to introduce a cohort of trans and queer theatermakers working to create safer spaces for the queer and trans theater community. Called The TGNC Advocacy Collective (TAC) , the project will consist of a series of townhalls and an interactive webpage that documents the experiences and stories of the trans community in theater spaces. The cohort consists of Nicky Martinez, Kieran Beccia, Leigh Rondon-Davis, Jesse Annette Koehn, Nikki Meñez, Richard Mosqueda, and Chris Steele. The project will culminate with a digital resource guide and policies for the Bay Area Theater Community to integrate in their EDI work.

The project is supported by the Center for Cultural Innovation through their CALI Accelerator program. For more information about the program and grant, visit cciarts.org

• Previous ELL Projects: December 2020 Decolonizing Training: Facilitators: Nicole Brewer, Cynthia Ling Lee and Pratik Motwani, moderated by foolsFURY's Artistic Director Debórah Eliezer

  How DO We Train 

  A Panel Discussion on Ensemble Theater Practice in a New Era was held on December 2nd 10-11:30am PT/1-2:30pm ET Facilitators: Pratik Motwani, Cynthia Ling Lee, Nicole Brewer Moderated by: Debórah Eliezer, Artistic Director of foolsFURY As we look forward to new models, we must examine training practices within ensemble theatre. Does the model of ensemble theater support or reject oppressive systems? What are the ways that we are transforming the model of training? Who is in the room? Who is unable to be present in the room? Who is teaching? What is being taught? How is it being taught? Join an interactive discussion interrogating ensemble theater training through the lens of aesthetic equity.