The Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF), presented by Strathmore with Core Partner Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, supports youth leadership and vision at the intersection of arts and social change.
Just Announced: Learn more about the 2023 class
Applications for the 2024 Arts & Social Justice Fellowship program will open at a later date. Check back soon!
The fellowship centers youth leadership, young people’s vision of the future, and building community in the face of crisis. It was created in 2021 as part of Strathmore and Woolly’s co-presentation of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon—and seeks to identify the next generation of artists whose activism reflects Butler’s dynamic lineage. Learn more about the inaugural 2022 ASJF class and explore their culminating projects.
In its second year, the fellowship will broaden to include study of a series of performances taking place at each presenting institution. Performances will be accompanied by a thematic workshop, discussion, and artistic response exercise. Students will meet in person at the performances and for one workshop between each performance. Meetings will alternate between in-person and virtual. The performance list is below. Fellows are required to attend all performances not marked as optional.
- Fellowship Launch: Jan. 29, 2-4pm
- Voices of Mississippi: Feb. 4, 8pm (optional)
- Allison Miller Presents: Rivers In Our Veins: Feb. 10, 8pm
- Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner: Feb. 26, 2pm
- A Nice Indian Boy: March 12, 1:45pm
- The Jungle: March 28, 7:30pm
- Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily: Love in Exile: April 14, 8pm (optional)
- Sorry About My Accent, Exhibition by Emon Surakitkoson: April 29
- Incendiary: June 4, 7pm
- Parable of the Sower: July 1, 4pm
- Project Showcase Rehearsal: July 7, daytime TBD
- Project Showcase: July 8, 1-3pm
Arts and Social Justice Fellows receive support to further develop their analysis around social justice and systems change and build a unique vision for how they want to harness their artistry to intervene in the crises facing our world. Participants develop leadership skills, connect with networks of other students and professionals with similar interests, and grow their capacity to drive projects from start to finish.
This program is made possible with generous support from the Dr. Allen A.B. Herman Fund
Artwork by Doudgy (Dew the Artist) Charmant
Meet the 2023 Fellows
Abjini Chattopadhyay
Abjini Chattopadhyay (she/her) is an 11th grader at Montgomery Blair High School. Her passions range from the visual arts to singing. Her paintings and sketches have been displayed in local hospitals, showcased in the Maryland First Lady’s Spring Art Show, and included in a published children’s book. As a singer, she was admitted to Maryland’s All-State Senior Chorus in 2022 and 2023, and placed second in the Glory International Romantic Music Competition. As a Vice President of Blair’s National Art Honor Society, she creates service opportunities for students to apply their artistic abilities to help those in need throughout the community.
Ach’sah Gubena
Ach’sah Gubena (she/her) is a junior at Montgomery Blair High School interested in theater and racial justice. Each year, she performs in several in-school productions, including “Sankofa,” an annual Black History Month tribute. As an Assistant Director at Playset Theatre, Ach’sah leads others in diverse forms of theatrical performances. She is also a strong advocate for the Black community, partaking in numerous activist endeavors each year.
Hosea Johnson
Hosea Johnson (he/him) is an 11th-grade multi-talented musician. He engages in an array of musical activities including singing and playing multiple instruments. Hosea’s drive for activism is channeled through his approach to singing: he seeks to draw from the struggles of racism as well as the joy of being Black. Beyond music, Hosea aspires to be a large breed vet and professional polo player. He enjoys riding horses, learning about animals, and playing competitive polo.
Jada King
Jada King (She/Her) is a sophomore at Elizabeth Seton High School with passions for animals and all types of art. Jada specializes in dance, painting, and drawing, but also has interests in sculpting and creative writing. Jada enjoys art because she feels that expressing creativity and feelings are limitless. She lives in Laurel, Maryland and can be found looking for things to lay her hands on to paint.
Myla Leung
Myla Leung (she/her) is a 10th grader at Winston Churchill High School. She loves the arts and humanities and is passionate about the intersection between arts and social justice. She is also interested in environmental advocacy, sustainability, and research. In her free time, she enjoys baking, hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to learn how to use art to effectively advance social change in her community and beyond.
Olivia Ensign
Olivia Ensign (she/her) is an 11th grader in the Visual Arts Center magnet at Albert Einstein High School. Olivia works in many creative mediums, including drawing, painting, digital art, dance, and creative writing. Her artwork has been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio. An intern at Dance Exchange in Takoma Park, she guides 8-10 year olds, fostering their love for dance, creativity, and collaboration. An advocate of nature, Olivia also received a Girl Scouts Silver Award for organizing volunteers to rebuild a neglected rain garden to benefit pollinators and the Rock Creek watershed. She wants to create work where people from diverse backgrounds can better see and feel the personal, societal, and structural interconnections of difficult social issues, especially racism. By expressing her creative voice, Olivia hopes to move people to take action to create social justice.
Aron Moldabek
Aron Moldabek (he/his) is a 9th grader at Georgetown Day School. Aron is passionate about music in all its forms including studying piano, singing in his school’s chorus, and participating in an acapella club. He plays extensive classic rock repertoire and is the lead singer of his own rock band. Aron is interested in honing his skills in social activism and seeks to closely explore the concept of tolerance and peace within local communities, multicultural societies, and the broader world. Aron volunteers at Rockville Bike Hub and is a mountain biking enthusiast.
Ollie Braden
Ollie Braden (they/them) is a senior at Jackson-Reed High School and has been drawing ever since they could hold a pencil. As Creative Editor for their school magazine and Director of Visuals for their school paper, Ollie sees art as a crucial tool for communication and expression. They’re passionate about climate justice and started a Sunrise Hub at Jackson-Reed, joining a national, youth-led movement pushing for climate justice. As a Strathmore Fellow, they hope to marry their passions for artistic expression and advocacy.
Rayan Afif
Rayan Afif (they/them) is a 12th grader at George C. Marshall High School in Fairfax, Virginia. They’ve been involved in theatre for fourteen years as a performer, playwright, and scenic painter, among other roles. Rayan’s plays have been produced by Statesmen Theatre. Awards include: First Prize for Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Art’s 10-minute Play Contest (“1, 2, 3”, 2022), Semi-Finalist for the Hal Leonard Vocal Competition (High School Musical Theatre, 2022), and VHSL Top 2 Best Actors in the Region (Finley in “Edit Profile”, 2021). Rayan’s work stems from “artivism,” the connection of art and activism, where they find it imperative to use art as a means of social justice and to inspire difficult conversations.
Tais Moore
Tais Moore (She/Her) is a Senior at McKinley Technology High School who loves finding ways to incorporate art into her life. She is a part of the theater club at her high school and is currently preparing for the upcoming play: Fences. Outside of acting, Tais enjoys creative writing and bringing the stories of those around her into the spotlight. You can always find her working to change the world.
Program Facilitators
Blue Cavell-Allette
Blue Cavell-Allette (she/her) is an internationally renowned, multi-award-winning improviser and teacher who has headlined and taught in a multitude of cities including Toronto (CA), Washington DC and Philadelphia. As a performing artist, Blue has over two decades of experience creating, directing and producing improv, traditional theater and interdisciplinary work. Blue is currently a professor of applied improvisation at Morgan State University.
Tavish Forsyth
Tavish Forsyth (he/they) is a queer improvisor with Celtic roots. He is a performing artist, word technologist, and professor of applied improvisation. He was born on Penacook Land in Lowell, Massachusetts, under a Virgo sun and moon with Pisces rising. Since 2011 he has lived in Baltimore, which is the ancestral land of the Piscataway people, where he became the founder of Bird City Improv, a teaching artist with the Maryland Center for Creative Classrooms, and a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University. Tavish is a trained actor with two degrees in theatre. He is versed in multiple styles of improvisation, embodied practice, and comedic theory. Centering healing, queerness, and connection in his work, Tavish empowers individuals to listen, adapt, and respond. His hope is to co-create theatre that is joyful, patient, and honest.
Program & Application Information (Currently closed)
Arts & Social Justice Fellowship 2022 Explore Highlights from the Inaugural Class
In July 2022, the inaugural class presented their culminating projects in a fascinating multi-media experience.
Their research and reflection covered Butler's Parable novels, as well as many other works and creators including Audre Lorde, Sonic Youth, Terence Trent D’Arby, Danez Smith, Robin DiAngelo, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, the film Sorry to Bother You, TV show American Gods, and more.
Arts & Social Justice Fellowship 2022 Explore Highlights from the Inaugural Class
In July 2022, the inaugural class presented their culminating projects in a fascinating multi-media experience.
Their research and reflection covered Butler's Parable novels, as well as many other works and creators including Audre Lorde, Sonic Youth, Terence Trent D’Arby, Danez Smith, Robin DiAngelo, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, the film Sorry to Bother You, TV show American Gods, and more.