artistic statement
I create multidisciplinary performance grounded in the mediums of movement and spoken word. It exists at the intersection of theater and organizing, with the intention to cultivate an empathetic exchange between the audience and the performers. My work serves as an invitation and a call to action; a seat at the conceptual table and a push in the direction of change.
My confidence that art has the ability to create and inform social discourse is what drives my process. With collaboration as the bedrock, it involves fully incorporating the performer’s beliefs and stories resulting in an intimately personal experience. I am committed to fostering an environment where each member of our community is valued, respected, and given space to offer their unique perspective shaped by the complexities of their personhood. Through centering those aspects of our identities on which oppressive systems are built - race, gender, sexuality, class, etc. - we help shift the narratives that aim to perpetuate injustice.
My hope is to create impactful change. As an unbridled optimist, being confronted with fatalistic views on the state of the world is not uncommon - particularly today. I do my best not to give in. Deeply inspired by the young people I direct, it is their hope, their love and their rage that I turn to if ever in doubt. Creativity engenders possibility - it is why young people are ceaselessly resilient and why art makes inroads in affecting change. When we can hear and bear witness to the narratives of others with ease, we may begin to see ourselves more clearly. An open mind is far more capable of resonance. My work wants to break through the rigidity that leaves us optionless to access what’s underneath, vulnerability and truth. For I believe it is the parts of ourselves that we can share with and see in others that can nurture our ability to live compassionate lives.
—Hannah Cullen