where the message is the medium
We're honored to call the Capital District of New York our home
and partner with various organizations in Schenectady, Albany, Troy, Saratoga, and Rensselaer Counties.
A performing arts social justice platform to engage and further discussions surrounding race relations in America, to combat bias, racism, and systemic oppression. Creating space for art to inspire, educate, and activate.
THIS YEAR’S
ACTIVATED ARTIST FEST
WAS A SUCCESS!
On August 9th, 2025, a group of people came together in the spirit of collaboration, rejoicing, and resistance, at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady for the 2nd Annual Capital Region Activated Artist Fest by Create A Space Now. The Addy Theatre and Addy Dance Studio transformed into a working lab for justice, with free workshops, teach-ins, screenings, movement classes, and pop-up conversations that centered care, art, and community power. We honored local champions during our Keynote, Awards, and Closing, uplifted mental health and harm reduction with partners like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Capital Region, and spotlighted the creative labor that keeps our movements alive. Media and neighbors showed up, elders and youth shared the mic, and artists led us in the practice of a future where everyone belongs.
We did not just host an event; we built muscle memory for collective action. We left with sign-ups, collaborations, and a plan to keep the work moving in our neighborhoods, schools, and stages. If this day moved you, keep the current flowing, donate if you can, volunteer, bring a friend to the next program or fest, invite us to your school, your company, and stay connected at createaspacenow.org. Art is action, and Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and the Capital Region have been and will continue to be a place where activated art thrives.Watch the official recap from the day!!!
Watch the official recap from the day!!!
Get activated, stay activated, keep activating others.
Our gratitude is deep. Thank you to every presenter who carried this vision with skill and heart: Hettie Barnhill, Shakeema Funchess, Aminah Hopewell, Dawn Marie Harris, Celia Hernandez, Robert Gertler, André Robles, Adonis Richards, Saroya Corbett, Jayson Salim, Ari, Hasson Shakor Harris Wilcher, and Shanta Thorpe. Thank you to our keynote speaker, D. Colin (www.dcolin.com), for naming the times and calling us toward courage. Congratulations to our 2025 Activated Artist Community Award honoree Barbara N. Howard (https://www.barbaranhoward.com), whose life in art and service is a blueprint for community power.
Deep thanks to our sponsors, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Capital Region New York, Avenue Blackbox Theatre, Priscilla Dixon, and Debbie Weis Gertler for believing in the work. We also thank WTEN News and Tyanna Xavier for taking the time to spotlight this event and help carry these stories to our wider community.
To our volunteers and staff, and to our partners at Proctors Theatre in #Schenectady, with special thanks to Judie and Mark, your care and professionalism made the day smooth, safe, and impactful. And to everyone who showed up, asked questions, created alongside us, and held each other with respect, you are the reason this festival exists.
If you want to build with us, present next year, volunteer, or support the mission, visit www.createaspacenow.org and connect.
The work continues. The space remains open. See you in it.
Song “Taking Time Out” performed LIVE by Ari
We just launched our Arts & Education programming in the Capital Region!
Big thanks to Glencliff Elementary and the Create A Space NOW team for an incredible day of movement, creativity, and connection with our “A Day to Move for Change” program.
Want to bring this energy to your school? Reach out today and check out our offerings.
Let’s spark creativity and move for change, together.
Watch the recap!
"Embodied: Nina Simone and James Baldwin "
The "Embodied: Nina Simone and James Baldwin Inspired Performance and Talk," held on December 7, 2023, was a resounding success. This unique event, part of an enriching series highlighting the impact of influential figures of color in art and society, featured a blend of dance performance and insightful discussion. Led by Hettie Barnhill, André Robles, and special guest Eunice S. Ferreira, attendees delved deep into the realms of identity, art, and activism. Participants engaged in profound conversations with leaders in creativity and activism, dissecting complex social issues and spearheading community justice initiatives.
This impactful evening, produced by Create A Space NOW, underscored the belief in the power of the arts, from dance and music to theater and film, as vital tools for communication, education, and societal change.
Watch our recap below!
We are artists, activists, and human beings.
Diverse in race, body shape, gender identity, spirituality, and sexuality, all standing for Black lives.
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