By: Aileen Balahadia, Director of Grantmaking and Community Engagement
This quarter, N2N is proud to spotlight a return grantee Ase Theater and their series of intergenerational programs for Black and brown teen girls and adults supporting artistic and self-expression, led by Black womxn teaching artists across Seattle.
Their mission is to engage and transform communities, lighting the path toward a world where every voice is empowered, and creativity knows no bounds. They desire to be a sanctuary where the art of storytelling and cultural traditions come alive, guided by the tenets of Ritual Poetic Drama within the African Continuum.
For young Black and brown Womxn and Gxrlz particularly in South Seattle, this safe space to express creativity and affirm bonds is missing. As Olisa Enrico, Executive & Artistic Director, shared in our recent site visit, “We want space for deeper connections and trust across generations that build community and lead to more confidence and voice.” Mercy Daramola, Associate Director, talked about the need to instigate joy amongst the community. “We help hold the container of the emotions/grief/trauma but then we help release it to make room for joy. It’s not always pretty, but its honest and real and what’s needed.”
N2N grantees often use reclamation and promotion of culture as tools for building community. In our multi-racial and multi-cultural community, being able to freely express culture and being seen for all that you are, is even more profound. Instead of conforming to mainstream or dominant culture, or in worst case scenarios witnessing entire languages/cultures/lands disappear, the act of practicing and deepening culture is an act of resistance.
The full list of N2N Fall 2024 grantees can be found below:
Fall 2024 Grants
1. Al-Firdous Sisters**: To support Muslim women of color in South Seattle and greater South King County by fostering identity and belonging through hikes, community service, workshops, and a mental health retreat, building peer relationships, mentorship, and community support.
2. Ase Theater: To support a series of intergenerational programs for Black teen girls and adults based in South Seattle to support artistic and self-expression, led by Black womxn teaching artists across Seattle.
3. Cultivated Minds*: To empower Somali youth in South Seattle and SeaTac/Tukwila through leadership skill development programs that promote personal growth and community engagement.
4. E&F Sports: To support the Muslim youth community centered in Tukwila, who face declining physical well-being and rising mental health challenges, through regular activities that address health stigmas, foster connections and create mentorships.
5. Enlightened Era: To empower marginalized BIPOC youth and those experiencing the legal system, largely in Kent, by providing regular workshops and mentorships focused on violence prevention, conflict resolution, leadership, and creative arts.
6. Global Wisdom Collective: To support continued partnership with Khmer Community of King County to create a digital archive to document elders’ cultural knowledge largely 8based in South Seattle and South King County. This will strengthen intergenerational ties, address environmental justice, and safeguard heritage.
7. Gorilla Faith**: To support BIPOC youth in Kent, bridging the gap between mental health
and faith, using the thrill of cars, racing, and restorative justice workshops to spark purpose, promote resilience, and build stronger communities.
8. Healthy Othello + African Women Entrepreneurs*: To support the African women entrepreneurship leadership team at New Holly/South Seattle neighborhood with hands-on experience learning about ingredients and creating several types of personal care products that are halal and will help with our participants skin issues. This project also includes successful women owned business presentations and other wellness related programming.
9. Highly Hated Foundation: To support BIPOC White Center youth through the production of organized group experiences intended to strengthen their bonds, have fun, and build skills. Specifically, “What’s Up White Center” is meant to showcase community alumni, their stories/successes and develop mentorship opportunities.
10. Hmong Association of WA**: To enhance community leadership, community organizing skills, and knowledge of non-profit governance among volunteer board members, ultimately strengthening support for the Hmong community in Washington, particularly in Kent and South King County.
11. Oceania NW*: To develop a new Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Wellness Initiative focused on combating diabetes and obesity pandemic through culturally vetted practices, curriculum, trusted messengers and community dialogues aimed at dispelling
myths and empowering families, largely in Burien and greater South King County.
12. Pathways to Progress**: To implement a Healing Circles Project that engages BIPOC Healers in South Seattle’s African immigrant communities in a destigmatization campaign, creating safe spaces, education, and culturally relevant support to break mental
health stigma and promote family well-being.
13. Somali Independent Business Alliance: To organize BIPOC and immigrant/refugee small businesses in SeaTac/Tukwila, by conducting surveys and hosting follow up workshops to address their unique business challenges, using a similar model piloted in South Seattle.
14. South King Emotional Wellness League*: To support the convening and facilitating of low barrier, easy access community mental health support and training opportunities to BIPOC communities to improve well-being and empowerment in South King County and surrounding areas. This project specifically partners with the Congolese Integration Network and Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County,
15. The Zola Experience: To support mental health workshop facilitation and workshop discussions to address unprocessed grief and trauma within the Black community in South Seattle, especially focused on parents and caregivers.
16. Writers Development Program: To continue support of a unique writers development program in the Washington Correction Center that helps incarcerated BIPOC writers publish in Seattle and the surrounding area and nationally. They create supportive communities, highlight injustices and reduce recidivism in partnership with groups like Look 2 Justice.
*Indicates a first-time applicant to N2N
**Indicates the first time an organization has written a grant application
Photo Credit: Photos courtesy of Ase Theater, used with permission. Featured images are from “Gxrlz Act” programming.
For more information about Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N), please contact Director of Grantmaking & Community Engagement Aileen Balahadia at [email protected]. The quarterly deadlines for N2N are January 30, April 30, July 30, and October 30.