Strathmore & Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Announce 3rd Year of Arts and Social Justice Fellowship
Twelve area high school students chosen for 2024 cohort
Not pictured: Mekdelawit Gebreslassie
Strathmore, in partnership with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, proudly announces the third class of its Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF), an educational initiative championing youth leadership at the intersection of arts and social change.
Launched in 2022 during the co-presentation of Octavia E. Butler’s "Parable of the Sower," the half-year program for high school students focuses on the transformative power of art. Participants, chosen for their dedication to activism through art, attend regional performances, participate in community and skill-building workshops, and collaborate with professional artist mentors.
“This year, we had the biggest and most impressive batch of applicants ever,” says Lauren Campbell, Strathmore’s vice president of education. “These young folks are overflowing with talent and a strong desire to make a difference. We feel privileged to be able to support and learn from them during the upcoming six months.”
Expanding beyond “Parable of the Sower,” this year’s fellowship centers around inspiring works such as “The Sensational Sea-Minkettes" at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and “Step Afrika!’s Migrations” at Arena Stage. Discussion topics include climate justice, identity, freedom, gender, race, and more. At the program's end, participants will present final projects, for which they receive a $750 stipend, addressing personal and significant issues through their chosen media.
ASJF aims to boost participants’ self-confidence and communication fluency. The program deepens their awareness of self, others, and shared space, fostering effective collaboration in both professional and social settings. Participants develop a nuanced understanding of art as a tool for empathetic communication, applying creative techniques and mindful strategies to real-world situations. Ultimately, they strengthen their capacity to self-lead, plan complex projects, and engage with community support, teams, and mentors.
2024 ARTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COHORT
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- Wallace Hewchuch (he/him) – Home School, grade 12
- Yahney-Marie Sangaré (she/her) – Alexandria City High School, grade 12
- Arjan Ghertner Espinoza (he/him) – Montgomery Blair High School, grade 11
- Carrie Johnson (she/her) – Edmund Burke School, grade 12
- Juliana Dinarte (she/her) – The Madeira School, grade 9
- Allison Xu (she/her) – Walter Johnson High School, grade 12
- Rochelle Bremmer (she/her) – Montgomery Blair High School, grade 12
- Isaac Yebio (he/him) – Jackson-Reed High School, grade 12
- Salincya Archard (she/her) – National Cathedral School, grade 9
- Daniela Martinez (she/her) – Poolesville High School’s humanities magnet program, grade 12
- Eric Le (he/him) – Montgomery Blair High School & Albert Einstein High School’s art magnet program, grade 12
- Mekdelawit Gebreslassie (she/her) – Parkmont School, grade 12
This program is made possible with generous support from Dr. Deborah M. Smith and the Dr. Allen A.B. Herman Fund.
ABOUT STRATHMORE
Strathmore is a multidimensional creative anchor in the community, where everyone can connect with the arts and artists can explore their full potential. It is a 501(c) nonprofit serving the entire Washington, DC, region and the state of Maryland, with hundreds of performances, visual arts exhibitions, and education programs for diverse audiences on its Montgomery County campus and in the community each year.
ABOUT WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY
The Tony Award-winning Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company creates badass theatre that highlights the stunning, challenging, and tremendous complexity of our world. For over 40 years, Woolly has maintained a high standard of artistic rigor while simultaneously daring to take risks, innovate, and push beyond perceived boundaries. One of the few remaining theatres in the country to maintain a company of artists, Woolly serves an essential research and development role within the American theatre. Plays premiered here have gone on to productions at hundreds of theatres all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field. Currently co-led by Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes and Managing Director Kimberly E. Douglas, Woolly is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House. This unique location influences Woolly’s investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy.
Woolly Mammoth stands upon occupied, unceded territory: the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank whose descendants belong to the Piscataway peoples. Furthermore, the foundation of this city, and most of the original buildings in Washington, DC, were funded by the sale of enslaved people of African descent and built by their hands.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
PJ Feinstein (she/her)
Director of Communications
pfeinstein@strathmore.org