Gibney’s Moving Toward Justice (MTJ) Program cultivates spaces for ‘artist entrepreneurs’ to build skills and foster dialogue and exchange at the intersections of arts and social action. In these challenging times, an increasing number of dance artists want to leverage their artistic skills as a tool for activism and social impact, but often haven’t had access to frameworks that could help translate those skills and begin to pave new ways forward. MTJ is a multi-prong, process-based program braiding together Gibney Company, Center and Community philosophies and tools. Our Moving Toward Justice offerings are geared toward artists who value moving bodies and moving ideas in service of revealing how socially-minded arts practices and projects can generatively impact the spaces we inhabit and are differentiated through 3 areas of support – Cohort, Curriculum and Resources.
Gibney’s Moving Toward Justice Fellowship program is supported by the Bay and Paul Foundations, the Joseph and Bernice Tanenbaum Foundation, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, and Virginia & Timothy Millhiser, with lead support from Andrew A. Davis and the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund.
MTJ COHORT
Gibney Company’s full-time dancers, known as Artistic Associates, embrace a broad spectrum of activities—in the studio, on stage, within our organization, and throughout the community. Artistic Associates give back to the dance field through individually-crafted Moving Toward Justice Fellowships. Each Artistic Associate pinpoints a pressing issue in the dance field then leverages the resources and mentorship of the larger organization to develop, implement, and co-create new programs in response to the evolving needs of the field.
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MTJ CURRICULUM
Gibney’s Moving Toward Justice (MTJ) Curriculum cultivates spaces for ‘artist entrepreneurs’ to build skills and foster dialogue and exchange at the intersection of arts and social justice. Geared toward artists, educators, administrators and activists alike this discussion-based curriculum centers somatic awareness and makes space for the exploration of the ‘new choreographies’ at play in social and interpersonal justice, all while expanding the definition of ‘community’ to include those right around us. Sessions could include sharing Gibney’s time-tested Model and Methods; self-management best practices; skill-building toward facilitation techniques, program development, persuasive writing, business practices in entrepreneurship; as well as the personal stories of Gibney Company’s Artistic Associates embarking on their fellowship projects addressing gaps in the dance field. Sessions build awareness about a myriad of social justice issues and are rooted in Gibney Community’s long history in addressing gender-based violence alongside survivors and social workers. This curriculum is inspired by Gibney’s organizational-wide model valuing reflection, expression, collaboration and sustainability while intentionally progressing from internal ideas to external action, and from individual work to collective care. This four part framework aims to move from the abstract toward the tangible, internal to external, from the individual towards the collective.
MTJ RESOURCES
A repository of current and past Moving Toward Justice Fellowships, updates and curriculum sharing. Check back for updates on annual convenings to further cohort relationships and share project developments.
