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We four women make up the core of Nebunele as she moves now. These video excerpts are taken from Zoom calls over the pandemic. They speak to the kind of theatre we're interested in making and the conversations we're having with one another as we heed the creative call.
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER
WE CAN HEAL TOGETHER
Nebunele is a company of artists organized around the principle of uplift. We are dedicated to supporting artists who, like us, are firmly positioned in the healer’s tent of the grand, worldwide festival of action toward a better society. We believe we can take on trauma topics without re-traumatizing, and that every artistic process can be a healing process—that, in fact, the art that heals its makers has the best chance of offering healing to its audience as well. As we embark in this process of joyful support, we are consciously connecting people and helping to unify a global community.
We are particularly interested in amplifying under-heard minority voices and work that aims to decolonize, to upend the patriarchy, and to heal intergenerational, and societal trauma. To that end, we are here to support artists who share this sensibility and to incubate work that might not otherwise see the light of day. Artists are often people who have busy lives, other jobs, and maybe a persistent sense of nagging doubt that they are ‘really’ artists who have something important to share. Nebunele is here to help artists refocus on the work, grant permission to focus deep into the process (rather than rushing to completion) and allow the very act of making the art to be an experience of community, collective encouragement, and transformation.
To the artists we work with, we offer the following:
Regular check-ins
Nebunele company members periodically check in to see how the project is going, where it’s stuck, what it needs, and help keep attention on the work as something vital and precious and ongoing, regardless of where in the process it is.
Scheduled feedback sessions
Nebunele’s monthly Zoom “art meetings” feature a different artist each time, providing a supportive feedback circle with our invited larger community of thinkers and veteran art-makers. Artists present works-in-progress for an audience ready to help deepen the work.
Connections
We have collaborators all over the globe, and we bring together folks from different disciplines (directors, writers, sound artists, producers) to help each piece find what it needs to actualize.
Budgeting and fundraising support
We help artists think through the financial needs of their projects and give feedback on grant applications, and we are growing into running direct fundraisers to support the work of our artists.
Spreading the word
Our networks are growing, and we amplify the projects we are incubating, helping them find spaces and audiences.
The COCOONele artist retreat & development award
This two-week residency provides artists with living space in a beautiful, secluded area; a $750 travel stipend to get there; and a regular schedule of 1:1 coaching meetings with a Nebunele director as the artist develops their project. A kickoff and closing event with Nebunele company members gives shape to the project and provides an opportunity to share the progress made during this retreat.
Direct production support
For projects that are ready to get on their feet and find an audience, we participate in all the activities that go into making it happen. Check out our current projects for more information on the incredible artists we are currently working with.