This opportunity is made possible through Tempe Union High School District and City of Tempe Human Relations Commission who specifically commissioned us for this performance for their students.
This is the second time that Grey Box Collective has partnered with TUHSD to perform Understanding Otherness with support from the Unity Grant and Tempe Human Relations Commission.
'Understanding Otherness' Show & Creative Process History: The first iteration of Understanding Otherness premiered in January 2017. Understanding Otherness (2017) aimed to untangle, uncover, and illuminate habits that lead to separation and belonging. (view the show page and highlight reel here). In the creative process for the 2017 production, the focus was on understanding hate culture and all that was sparked by the 2016 election. in hindsight, we focused on the extremes and sort of skipped over the grey messy parts of othering. As we revisited this content in 2023, we focus on the pivotal moments in human interactions where othering begins. Those fragments of time where separation starts and dehumanizing an individual, group of individuals, or ourselves begin. We also dive into the complexities further: what is it to other ourselves in an effort to not be othered by those around us? What is it to other ourselves - or to separate ourselves - from a group for our own safety? How can we return to community and connection after a period of social distancing and isolation?
Opportunity & Commitment Details: The performance is Friday, December 8th. Creatives are expected to be present at Mesa Community College from 8a - Noon. on Dec. 8th. There will be approximately six hours of rehearsal prior to the performance, dates and times will be set by the ensemble. There will be an additional eight hours of training in Trauma-Informed Creative Practices, dates and times will also be set by the ensemble. The final time commitment is a one-hour post-performance debrief. The rate for our projects this season is $17/hr. Times listed above may shift or be reduced, as a practice within the company we do not add hours to a project without complete ensemble consent. Please note, all creatives are considered freelancers who are contracted for specific services and projects. We are looking for three performers (primarily movement based) and one production team members who are all comfortable in a role as teaching artist as well. Note that while you are a part of this project, you will have free access to our Play in the Grey Patreon Community. If you are a paying Patreon member, you will be refunded for the months you work for GBC. Must be 18+ to apply.
Call for creatives!: GBC is a small organization of creative chameleons and we welcome Jack/Jill/Jaimes of all trades. We welcome individuals from a wide range of training and experience within and outside of the arts or other creative fields. Individuals are expected to embody and practice radical compassion, intrinsic virtuosity, and efficient, effective and consistent communication. Individuals in this role must be open to evolving professional practices and dynamic responsibilities within the framework of a contemporary arts company. We operate in community which sometimes requires us to adapt to circumstances beyond our control to support the humans we create with. We are particularly interested in working with individuals who are interested in the intersection of trauma and creativity and/or trauma-informed creative practices in theory and practice. Individuals who wish to work with GBC must understand that Grey Box Collective is a trauma-informed arts organization committed to holding compassionate spaces for ourselves and others and ensure sustainable practices are embedded in all that we do. Through our actions, reflections, and art-making, we aim to challenge and re-shape the status quo in our organization, in our bodies, and our communities.
More about the company: Grey Box Collective (GBC) produces interdisciplinary, experimental, and post-dramatic performances and projects about social-emotional wellbeing (i.e. we make weird art about tough stuff). We work primarily at the intersection of performing arts, visual arts, design, and educational psychology. We aim to explore new forms of expression and make choices to rebel against the “norms”. Our work prioritizes investigating broad ideas and typically steps away from traditional plot lines or characters. The works are considered artistic vehicles for social change that offer brave and supportive spaces for audiences and artists. We share our creative process through educational workshops and podcasts. GBC is a one-of-a-kind arts organization in the nation. The way we work (as in how we develop performances, how we communicate with each other, how the organization is structured overall) is incredibly forward-thinking. The past few years have provided the space to realign the organization and it's time for big strides moving into next season. This student worker would be able to be a part of those big steps. All of GBC's creatives over the past are from historically underrepresented communities. The following communities are well represented in each season: LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC/ALAANA, disabled, and neurodivergent.
More About GBC's Founder: Molly W. Schenck (MFA, MEd., RSME/T) is fascinated with human movement - whether that is a social justice movement, individuals persisting through systems, or how a body moves through space and time. She is also interested in what interrupts the full expression of movement (stress, trauma, burnout, injuries, chronic pain, etc.). This has guided the evolution of her studies and career path. She worked in higher education as an adjunct professor and administrator in the arts for ten years. She taught mindbody and group fitness classes for twelve years. She specializes in the intersection of creativity and trauma, is the creator of Trauma-Informed Creative Practices and author of Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices for Dance Educators. She is the founder of Grey Box Collective (an interdisciplinary, experimental, post-dramatic, trauma-informed arts organization that devises original performances around topics of social and emotional wellbeing i.e. makes weird art about tough stuff). She is also a certified Trauma Support Specialist, Personal Trainer, a 500-hour experienced yoga teacher (focused on asana, pranayama, and meditation), and a Registered Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist. For more information visit mollywschenck.com
Information collected below: We collect demographic information below because the grants we apply for to fund our collective are interested in who we connect with and your answers help us write more impactful grants. (That being said, we understand identifies might not fit in a box, might be fluid, hidden, undefinable, unknown, and/or undiscovered so, answer as much as you're comfortable with). The information on this form will be shared with Grey Box Collective leadership. Demographic information may be synthesized and disseminated as deemed necessary for grant writing and reporting purposes. If there is any question that does not apply or your prefer not to answer, please put "N/A".
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting Oct. 29th and will continue until the creative team is complete. There will be a brief interview before project agreements are offered.
Applicants can expect communication from info@greyboxcollective.com regarding next steps and scheduling interviews.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@greyboxcollective.com
If you are interested in additional roles within GBC, please visit greyboxcollective.com/getinvolved for artistic, volunteer, and/or board opportunities.
Thank you for your interest in being a part of Grey Box Collective!
