“Our humanity needs the kind of transformative impact that comes from poetry, dance, music, fine arts, and story telling. We need to access the rich resource that only the arts can deliver as a conduit for deepening our understanding of the human condition.”
-NATAKI GARRETT
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The Future of American Theater: A Conversation with Nataki Garrett
When Nataki Garrett took the job of artistic director at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the future looked bright. That was 2019. By March 2020, COVID-19 forced the festival to shut down; later that summer, raging wildfires filled the skies around Ashland, Oregon worsening the organization's revenue situation. Join Vivian and Marcie for this sobering conversation about Garrett's experiences at OSF.
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Multi-hyphenate Artist and Artistic Leader Nataki Garrett Named Chair of TCG Board
Theatre Communication Group, the national organization for theatre, has announced Nataki Garrett (she/her), multi-hyphenate artist, entrepreneur, and co-artistic leader of One Nation, One Project, as chair of the TCG board. Garrett succeeds Harold Steward (they/he), who served as the TCG board chair from November 2023 through October 2024
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Lifting up Dr. Claudine Gay, Anoinette Candia-Bailey and all Black Female Leaders demanding to be heard.
There was a moment in the last days of 2023 when I thought Claudine Gay was safe. The powers that be at Harvard seemed to be fighting for her, offering a line of defense that Black women leaders don’t often get…. Because the truth is, if a white woman was forced out, then a Black woman wouldn’t stand a chance.
Under Siege: Black Women Leaders and the Performative Reckoning
“Many of us were brought into leadership roles right before or shortly after the so-called racial reckoning that followed George Floyd’s public murder. It was a time when organizations rushed to publish flimsy statements condemning anti-Black racism while avoiding any substantive self-reflection. Hiring Black women became a tool for organizations to deflect criticism and shield themselves from accountability. We were brought in to signal change without being given the tools, resources, or authority to implement it. What we are now enduring isn’t accidental—it’s intentional.”
Protecting the creative economy during COVID: Arts and the artists drive local economy
That is the power Congress holds. They can ensure that the flickering candle of the creative economy can continue to burn brightly. Right now, bills such as The Creative Economy Revitalization Act, The Performing Arts Parity Act, and the Arts Education for All Act, bipartisan bills that positively impact the economies of every state and enjoy broad public support, are waiting for Congress to act.
The Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy
Back in 2022, Nataki’s Professional Non-Profit Theater Coalition colleagues met with congressional staffers and White House staffers fighting for the arts industry and the creative economy.
Nataki started the PNTC so that artists could advocate on the federal level for resources. The creative economy is a vital economy that is necessary.
Nataki Garrett, was announced as the recipient of a prestigious, $50,000 United States Artists Fellowship.
“She is recognized alongside artists working across 10 disciplines. The award honors their creative accomplishments and supports their ongoing artistic and professional development.”