The 418 Project

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The 418 Project has secured a new, permanent home. At our much larger facility, we will be becoming more diverse and inclusive, encompassing a greater variety of programming, and growing as a true architectural, functional, and spiritual bridge between downtown Santa Cruz and the River at the Dragon Gate.

Throughout 2021 we will also be planning our remodel, in order to repurpose our building and create affordable, adaptive spaces to serve YOU—teachers, BIPOC, arts entrepreneurs. If you would like to support this accessible local and regional home for embodied art, please contact Executive Director Laura Bishop at: Laura@the418project.org for more information and a tour of the facility.

Many Thanks to Gabrielle & Kenneth Adelman for making dreams come true.

We honor the spirit of the Dragon and the ancestors who hold and uplift us, acknowledging that our building sits on the unceded territory of the Awaswas speaking Uypi tribe and the historical ground of Santa Cruz's Chinatown.

In the coming year, we invite you to join us in Fifty First Fridays, our journey into new relationships and Embodied Community Art. Want to make art, present a performance, dance, class, or workshop? Now is your chance! POC and queer people are especially invited to submit ideas. Email us with your idea at: community@the418project.org. All ideas will be considered.

Our Mission & Vision

Mission: The 418 Project builds community in Santa Cruz and beyond by fostering physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being in an atmosphere centered upon collaboration and creative expression through dance and movement art.

Vision: We envision a world where everyone has access to a safe environment supporting the unification of body and spirit, becoming more connected to their true selves and their community.

We are committed to Racial Equity

• We openly disavow any and all white supremacist ideologies, practices, and organizations, as we firmly believe that the arts are a right to any and all peoples.

• The 418 Project is committed to providing an environment free of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and disrespectful or other otherwise unprofessional conduct targeted at our community members for any reason, including race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), and national origin.

• We are committed to closing the racial gap in the performing arts by providing universal and affordable access to our event and performance spaces for our community.

• We aim to continue to bring the voices of more people of color into our space, in creative capacities, and through accountability practices.

• We understand that universal access to a performance space alone is not sufficient when trying to support our performing arts communities, and thus aim to provide and facilitate a diverse range of classes led by more people of color and of a greater range of diverse cultural backgrounds.

• We aim to investigate ways to develop and facilitate various other forms of art, performances, classes, and events both independently and in collaboration with our
communities of color.

• With equity in mind, we aim to provide resources outside of performance spaces for our teachers, creators, and performers as requested, as well as needed.