What is Athena Project?

Why Does Denver Need Athena Project?

How Is Athena Project Impacting Denver?

 

What is Athena Project?

Athena Project is a professional group of artists dedicated to supporting and expanding women’s artistic contributions to the Denver stage and the wider community. 

Vision: Athena Project envisions a world in which women’s voices are powerfully expressed and fully integrated into the creative life of every community.

Mission: The Athena Project mission is to empower women and strengthen the Denver community through developing and showcasing women’s and girls’ artistic contributions, while inviting new audiences into the creative process.

In 2012 - 2013, Athena Project will produce a Plays in Progress Series, the World Premiere of Tell Martha Not to Moan, and a year-long playwriting and play development experience for girls.  In 2013 - 2014 and beyond, Athena will expand to showcase women’s creativity across a range of art forms and venues in Denver.

 

       (back to top)

      ===========================

 

 

Why does Denver need Athena Project?

Theater is so critical because it has always been able to release people from their isolation… The theater is a communal event, church.  The playwright constructs a mass to be performed for a lot of people. She writes a prayer, which is just the longings of one heart  –  Marsha Norman, playwright

We are half the audience, but what's the percentage of produced women writers? 15%?  It's dismal. How do we break the notion of quotas?  Artistic directors put together their seasons with quotas, and it's one woman per season.— Paula Vogel, playwright

Athena Project was formed to close a critical gap in the creative life of the Denver community.   Athena is dedicated above all to the arts of living in justice and peace.  Women’s creativity is still largely submerged in the American – and the Denver – artistic worlds.  Bringing it out is not just good for women; it builds a healthy society.   

      (back to top)

      ===========================

 

How is Athena Project impacting Denver?

Athena Project Festival

Full arts festival supporting voices of women artists taking place in March of 2013 and consisting of the world premiere Clinnesha Sibley's Tell Martha Not to Moan, winner of our 2012 Plays in Progress Series, 8 perfomances of new works via our next Plays In Progress Series, performances by musicians, a visual arts display, dance performances, and possibly other arts performances to be determined along the way. This festival will be at the Aurora Fox Theatre and Aurora Arts District’s Gallery called “The Collective.”

Plays in Progress Series

From March 15-31, 2013 four plays will receive a workshop level production at The Aurora Fox Theatre in Denver. Plays will be work-shopped and we will invite the audience to participate in the discussions following each performance.  We will also have the audience vote on which play they’d like to see fully produced as part of our larger arts festival in 2014. NOTE:  Call for Play Submissions written by Female Artists!  Deadline to submit is midnight November 4, 2012!

Girls’ Write Program

Our partnership with Girls Inc. allows us to teach a youth playwriting program in the summer and fall to young girls who are members of Girls Inc. (an organization who’s mission is to serve underserved girls and help them become Strong, Smart, and Bold). When the sessions are over, we then pair up the girls (ages 8-14yrs) with a female playwright mentor to develop a short play between September and February. The short play is presented as a reading in our Athena Project Festival in March and has the possibility of being produced by Susan Lyles of And Toto too Theatre Company (a play company devoted to producing work by women) the following summer. This program allows us to develop our next generation of playwrights as well as let girls know they have an important voice too.

Dine+Drink=Donate

We partner with a local restaurant/bar who designs a drink for us and donates all of the proceeds to us in addition to 10% of their total sales for the evening. This program is designed to attract non-traditional theatre goers to us and to raise money. We also have a component where we invite attendees to tell their story by asking them the question: If you could write a play, what would it be about? These videos and answers are posted to Athena’s Facebook page and blog.

Writing With Wine

This event is a fun, “Girls Night Out” where women (ages 21+) learn the basics of playwriting. This program is designed to attract non-traditional theatre goers to us and to raise money.

       (back to top)

      ===========================