The Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF) supports youth leadership and vision at the intersection of arts and social change. High schoolers from DC, Maryland, and Virginia attend performances at regional venues, engage in thematic workshops with mentors and their peers, and create final projects exploring issues of importance to them through media of their choosing.
Presented by Strathmore with core partner Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, ASJF was created in 2021 as part of their co-presentation of Octavia E. Butler’s "Parable of the Sower" by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon. This educational program seeks to identify the next generation of artists whose activism reflects Butler’s dynamic lineage.
There is no cost to participate. Fellows receive a $750 stipend to support the creation of their final projects and are matched with professional artist mentors. Learn more about the inaugural ASJF class and explore their culminating projects.
This program is made possible with generous support from the Dr. Allen A.B. Herman Fund
Application Information
Applications for 2023-24 are now closed. 2024-25 applications will open in August 2024.
Artwork by Doudgy (Dew the Artist) Charmant
Meet the 2023 Fellows
Abjini
Abjini (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
Ach’sah (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
Hosea (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
Jada (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.
Aron
Aron (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.
Myla
Myla (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
Olivia (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.
Ollie
Ollie (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
Rayan (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
Tais (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.
2023 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.
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.