Model and Strategy
Ubuntu Theater Project (UTP) creates exquisite theatrical experiences that inspire compassion. Ubuntu is a Zulu proverb that means “I am because we are” and “my humanity is tied to yours.” UTP's work brings together divided social groups for transformative artistic experiences that reveal our shared humanity.
Ubuntu Theater Project returns from its award-winning and ambitious inaugural 2016 season with its 2017 and 2018 seasons to grow the organization and become a nationally recognized, marquee theater based in Oakland, CA, at the top of its field. UTP will produce 12 professional theater productions in 2017 and 2018 and develop the untapped potential of local Oakland artists that join top professionals in the field.
Ubuntu's training model is a combination of internal programs and external collaborations. UTP partners with Oakland School for the Arts and Laney College's Theatre Arts Department. With so much displacement in Oakland, it is critical UTP helps to bridge the opportunity gap by employing, training, and supporting local artists. UTP gets top professionals and local aspiring artists to collaborate in site-specific productions to create powerful theatrical experiences.
The Ubuntu Theater Project, in partnership with Oakland School for the Arts and Laney College, is providing affordable training and professional opportunities in theater for the 400,000 residents of Oakland and activating the untapped potential of hundreds of artists.
For many lowincome artists and artists of color, there are not adequate opportunities to both participate in the arts and engage in professional training opportunities to advance in careers. It is critical that we build a continuum of training and opportunity for lowincome youth and young adults in Oakland, California without barriers of access. In addition to removing financial constraints, artists from traditionally marginalized backgrounds need supportive communities as they navigate challenges while completing their training. Ubuntu’s collaboration provides a enriching professional environment in which artists from diverse backgrounds can find peership and community.
Impact
Ubuntu Theater Project’s successful collaboration will contribute to arts scene in Oakland and elevate local artists throughout the state and nation. As traditional regional theaters in America continue to be mostly homogeneous, affluent, and white, innovative organizations better reflect the vibrancy of diverse communities will begin to gain national prominence. Ubuntu’s collaboration is at the forefront of a national trend setting for the industry. The Ubuntu Theater Project seeks to bring its innovative theater model and social impact aimed at replacing bias with empathy to other cities across the United States. We currently have partnerships with theaters in Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, New Orleans, and New York.
A thriving community with access to the arts fosters increased social harmony. At its highest ideals, the collaboration will result in young people growing up in a more compassionate and interconnected world with strong empathy for others. The positive effects of widespread empathy fostered through the transformative power of the arts will result in a decrease in violence, criminalization, and a more humane response to conflict.
Leadership
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Michael Socrates Moran
Director & Co-Artistic Director