Community Engagement

This narrative-based dance-theater performance collaboration is led, created and performed by Indigenous Maya Mam immigrant women living in Oakland. Developed by NAKA Dance Theater (José Ome and Debby Kajiyama) and Maya Mam community members, the project investigates how anti-Indigeneity and colonialism impact Indigenous communities from Guatemala.
Weaving - a daily practice for many Maya Mam women - emerged as a way to talk about their lives and express pride in their identity.
Performances incorporate traditional textiles and contemporary creations using backstrap weaving tools, integrating visual and contextual elements into a tapestry of traditional and contemporary movement and storytelling. The project will culminate in eight premiere performances and a gallery installation featuring artworks generated throughout the process.

For Crafted in Culture, Cedric Mitchell will collaborate with the Watts Labor Community Action Committee - a non-profit, human social services organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for South Central Los Angeles residents - and young adults from the Watts community to create a large-scale glass mosaic that is materially and symbolically rooted in the community. This new artwork will be built from individually crafted glass tiles, each one designed and made by a community participant, which will form a unified mosaic that reflects both individual expression and collective identity. The finished piece will be a striking, permanent artwork that reflects the collective imagination of Watts, created by and for the community it represents.