Waco Theater Center

Waco's fy24 programs included the production of still here including a written publication and live event experience featuring stories and resources that center black women living with and impacted by hiv. The magazine will print and distribute 20,000 copies across the country and present live experiences inside beauty salons of los angeles, houston and baton rouge during the 2025/26 program year. Still here is a creative intervention to reduce stigma and educate black women about their health and the growing rate of hiv diagnoses in the community. The experience is powered by the voices of local and national activists, advocates. 32 black women writers were commissioned to write stories from various points of views and a team of 20 creatives were hired to collaborate on the development of the live experience which will be performed in los angeles, baton rouge and houston. As a second presentation of the witness exhibition at waco, we collaborated with curator genet ambrose of good mirrors institute and tedwomen. The exhibition saw 2500 visitors and received support from pivotal ventures, and featured new artists from local hbcu art programs at spelman college and clark atlanta university. Our inaugural two-weekend festival of black art and ideas, featuring the multidisciplinary work of five la-based artists. 500+ audience members joined us to experience work from a dynamic group of artist-citizens including: jamaal tolbert, nickolas vaughan, semaj miller, tashara gavin- moorhead and yazmin monet watkins. Led by award-winning playwrights aleshea harriss and dominique morisseau, the black playwrights gathering curated a convening for and by black playwrights. 110 writers gathered in los angeles on juneteenth to connect and build community. The event was produced in partnership with artequity. Waco off-stage humanity event presented on the shoulders of lorraine in partnership with support black theater, the drama guild foundation and the lorraine hansberry initiative. The event featured a panel of artists and activists with audience members reflecting on the life and legacy of playwright lorraine hansberry.