Creative Acts brings more than 20 years of experience working for and with those experiencing the effects of incarceration—building bridges with the larger community to change the broken systems around the Nationally-held narratives of mass incarceration, its roots and its widespread effects. We offer consulting, curriculum-building, anti-racism training, in-prison/re-entry program development support and event curation.

Expect several Creative Acts to follow in partnership with those most impacted and other influencers and leaders working for change.

Creative Acts is committed to ensuring accessibility for all people including those who are differently-abled.

Act I

art attacks - civic engagement program for incarcerated youth

This program is designed to civically engage participants through an effective, arts-based approach so that they utilize organizing and the tool of voting to make change. The program also forges relationships between March For Our Lives students and those with lived experience of poverty, incarceration and gun violence to make real change together in their communities as they return from prison.  We are proud to report 100% of our 2020 participants voted in the presidential election.

As we continue our ART ATTACKS! program, we partner with several organizations, including Emergent Works and many Artists and Influencers. The focus in this program has shifted from not only voting rights, but to general American History and truth of this country and its historical systems, though partnerships with The Pulitzer Center and The 1619 Project.

Act II

VIrtual reality reentry program:

Our ground-breaking Virtual Reality ReEntry program uses technology and the immersive experience of VR to help citizens transition out of incarceration by replicating external experiences to help people reenter our communities safely and confidently. Participants redevelop sensory capacity, regulate emotions and effectively problem solve through these virtual experiences all while they are incarcerated in maximum security prisons and solitary confinement, a radical reimagining of the reentry space. We wrap the entire program in Art practices such as theater, writing and drawing to transform the emotional and social outcomes of returning.

Take a look at our programs page to see a full impact report, including a mental health report that was conducted during the Pilot.

Act III

Alumni Laboratory

Our Alumni Laboratory is a bi-weekly gathering of ten of our alumni who were able to do this work while they were incarcerated and continue as lead teaching artists now that they are home. We created a “Laboratory” because we believe that our work is aligned with the spirit of science, in terms of developing visionary ideas, experimenting, failing, reassessing and trying again. This group is our Brain Trust and are paid as experts in the field. They meet to play with and scaffold our curricula and ensure the work we do is relevant and appropriate.

ACT IV

ANTI-RACISM AND DEI TRAINING:

Creative Acts is a social justice arts organization. With over 15 years of experience teaching in the most racially divided place on Earth, prison, co-founder Sabra Williams and her team are bringing their revolutionary, arts-based approach to diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism- to train corporations and organizations like yours!

The Creative Acts Anti-Racism workshops are interactive and fun as well as being transformative and educational. Participants will be invited to work in groups, exploring the challenges of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and systemic racism through arts exercises that encourage a group approach to anti-racism in the workplace.

Learn more and see how to register for a training in our Programs Section.

Act V

Party at the polls:

#partyatthepolls is a way to engage artists to use the #powerofthearts to draw people to the polls, and keep them there in the long lines. We ask artists to simply perform their art outside the polling station after they've voted. It went from a small local push to a nationwide event! Considering how crucial all elections are, local and national, we are continuing this action into the future.

As we navigate through these challenging times we do all we can to support and encourage those who were a part of #partyatthepolls before and found ways to meet the moment virtually.

Act VI

Speaking Engagements:

Major Bunton, Sabra Williams, Alumni Students, Teaching Artists

Consultancy:

Training- for purpose & for profit organizations, Correctional, Probation Officers, Prison systems, Foundations, Politicians, Governmental Departments

Arts-based advising- for Foundations, Prisons Systems, Universities, National, State & Local Politicians and Governmental Departments

Expanding vision and deepening efficacy- for purpose & for profits, events, legislation

Program development & training- for those wishing to work in prison/probation systems, those who would like to refine their current programs, Teaching Artists, non-profits

Advocacy- training and support

Public Engagement & Fundraising

Grant writing