8 | Produced by ST Content Studio SPONSORED CONTENT PROVIDED BY SEATTLE THEATRE GROUP Performing arts help expand our understanding of other perspectives Seattle Theatre Group’s vision is to create space where all are represented and welcome, and our Performing Arts Series is at the heart of this vision. Learn more at stgpresents.org/season. Experiencing a performance on stage — whether it’s music, theater, or dance — is a powerful way to open new pathways that foster understanding in real life. Performance in general is both a healing outlet and an opportunity to express and explore emotions, history, trauma, and identity—for both the artist and the audience. Jack McLarnan, associate director of performing arts programs at Seattle Theatre Group, notes that throughout history, the arts have been at the forefront of the struggle for social justice — and with frightening legislation and rhetoric targeting the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s a pivotal moment to double down and ensure that artists have the support and funding necessary to continue creating their work. In fact, a 2021 study published in the academic journal Health Promotion Practice on LGBTQQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) youth found that applied theater programs improve mental health and well-being, foster positive interpersonal relationships and, as a result, “have the potential to strengthen a range of protective factors” for this demographic. “The arts have always been a place for a broad range of expression, of being oneself, creating one’s community and chosen family and expressing that onstage and with the audience,” says McLarnan. “Music has always been at the forefront of important cultural movements and there’s always been a space for queerness as part of the magic of art and performance.” McLarnan cites Grace Jones, David Bowie, Melissa Etheridge and Elton John as just a few examples of artists who have played pivotal roles in the LGBTQIA+ movement — both on stage and off. McLarnan explains that while, in some ways, artists have a responsibility to “bring protest energy and bring the fight,” it’s also important to remember that all artists also deserve the freedom to make whatever they want. “Not everything has to be a direct statement against oppression,” he says. “It can be a respite from the challenges and the oppression and there’s something radical about that, too.” STG is always exploring how exposure and experience to different types of art and performance is a key way to expand a person’s understanding of the world, people, cultures and identities. Of the sixteen performances in their next season, over ten genres and disciplines are showcased. “[We] believe that being open to new experiences and ideas is one of the most important ways to teach compassion, openness, acceptance, and generosity,” McLarnan says. For example, McLarnan says the world premiere of a new work by dani tirrell commissioned by STG embraces this approach for both the artist and the audience. Tirrell, a Black, trans spectrum, queer choreographer and dancer will put on a performance titled “Leviticus or Love and to Walk Amongst Humans: A Dance in Two Parts (Book 1: Leviticus).” As described by dani tirrell, “[the performance] is a movement meditation of sin, love, loss and a world in which Black queer bodies are the highest,” and is set to traditional and contemporary gospel music inspired and reimagined by Aretha Franklin’s ‘Amazing Grace’ gospel album and documentary. “Representation is so important. Everyone deserves to see a version of themselves on stage; everyone deserves to see stories from their community on stage,” says McLarnan. Of course, the field of performing arts faces many challenges — particularly financial ones. In a country where there isn’t robust public funding for the arts, anyone whose work isn’t focused on the “commercial” pop world faces major roadblocks to the creative process. It’s often a struggle for artists to find the time and space to make the work they’re capable of. “We need to foster and support our artists in a sustainable way so they can stretch their boundaries, continue to realize the work they dream of, and connect with audiences,” says McLarnan. Looking to the future, McLarnan says that despite all the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ population, he feels hopeful. Citing Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice,” he notes that arts and entertainment are a powerful way to push the needle towards justice. Read story online Black, trans spectrum, queer choreographer and dancer dani tirrell will put on a performance titled “Leviticus or Love and to Walk Amongst Humans: A Dance in Two Parts (Book 1: Leviticus).” The Batsheva Dance Company
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDIxMDU=