art as a vital matter
Why art in a time of crisis?
The artistic process is grounded in dreaming, imagining what does not yet exist, and then bringing it into form. It is one of the most beautiful, challenging, rewarding forms of partnership. Art is about asking questions, holding paradoxes and contradictions in our minds. It allows us to feel, collectively. It makes us slow down. The kind of art we make at Vital Matters engages all kinds of people, those who identify as artists, and those who don't. We work together to create experiences for people, to problem solve, to make the most fantastical, theatrical, and the most up close and everyday performances and works. There is no better way to face the many crises that challenge us today than to come together, bringing what makes us most human--our ability to play, and to make.
What you can expect as an artist/collaborator
We believe the artist is vital to society, and that all people should be encouraged to find ways of engaging the world artistically. As collaborators, we invite people to bring their unique talents, their diverse perspectives, and their current capacity to the table. We welcome visual artists, musicians, actors, directors, choreographers, videographers to collaborate across artistic disciplines and beyond -- with scientists and snails, activists and moss, scholars and wind. We believe artists should be paid for their work, and we provide compensation whenever possible. Vital Matters group projects create an environment of mutual support and care, and are based in anti-racism and consent practices. We believe the creative process is always an opportunity to grow, and expand our own and each other's possibilities.
What you can expect as audience/participants
LIke the Global Water Dances "Participatory Dance" pictured here, we invite our audience to become a part of our community. Whether it is asking people to move together, to join in a conversation about environmental racism, to engage in the intimacy of a House Call, to make visual art together, or to go for a walk under the full moon, our work invites you in. Together we are smarter, stronger, more resourceful, and more resilient.