Improv MKE
Donation protected
Hi there. I am a Black woman, and improv comedy theater owner (Improv MKE), performer and instructor, currently based in my hometown of Milwaukee, WI.
I began my improv journey over 23 years ago and it has been one of the best creative outlets I have been able to enjoy! Having the skills to create entire worlds on stage (or Zoom now) and live in the world of play as an adult is a privilege and pleasure that I want to share with as many people as possible.
Before the pandemic hit, I'd secured a space for performance and rehearsals here in Milwaukee, and a week later, our town was locked down. Instead of waiting until we can be together in person again, I am building the school and theater with instructors from around the world right now. We're even beginning to do shows online!
When it is safe again, the show will go on in our physical space. Why is this all so important? Pandemic or not, improv should be accessible to EVERYONE! I've decided to start a fund to make this accessibility a reality.
Paying for classes is a barrier for some.
This fund will assist with providing monies for Black artists, Indigenous artists, and other people of color, as well as women, women-identifying artists, and nonbinary folx.
The funds can be used for people with low or no income from all backgrounds, as well as people who may have found themselves unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19.
But these funds don't just benefit those who receive them. The worldwide community will benefit.
I have been very fortunate in a few ways: I had access to classes, doors were opened to me, and I opened doors for myself.
With your help, we can help others receive that fortune, too! Most of the money from the fund will go to full and partial scholarships.
Some will go to offset the labor cost of doing free workshops and classes for Black people, women, and non binary folx, training them to facilitate improv workshops, and classes, and generally how to have confidence and take up space in an environment where this has never genuinely been cultivated.
The fund will also assist with marketing, advertising, and SEO optimization campaigns, and, lastly, it will help us purchase recording and sound equipment for when we are in a physical space.
One of the things that I have found challenging in Milwaukee was access to my own performances being recorded in order to send in to festivals for my teams. I have either had to pester former theaters to no avail, things were never recorded, or I have had to literally create a mock show in order to have something to submit. These things are time consuming, unnecessary, and left me without footage of really fun performances that showcased my skills, as well as others over the years. I want to eliminate that stress by being able to provide quality videos with sound, so teams can submit to festivals worldwide.
I am excited and humbled by the work I get to do and share.
Thank you for reading, assisting financially (if you are able), and sharing! Thank you to those who have already provided funds and scholarships to people who want to take classes! The response has been INCREDIBLE!!!
Let's transform what we are doing in this truly life-altering work, together!
I began my improv journey over 23 years ago and it has been one of the best creative outlets I have been able to enjoy! Having the skills to create entire worlds on stage (or Zoom now) and live in the world of play as an adult is a privilege and pleasure that I want to share with as many people as possible.
Before the pandemic hit, I'd secured a space for performance and rehearsals here in Milwaukee, and a week later, our town was locked down. Instead of waiting until we can be together in person again, I am building the school and theater with instructors from around the world right now. We're even beginning to do shows online!
When it is safe again, the show will go on in our physical space. Why is this all so important? Pandemic or not, improv should be accessible to EVERYONE! I've decided to start a fund to make this accessibility a reality.
Paying for classes is a barrier for some.
This fund will assist with providing monies for Black artists, Indigenous artists, and other people of color, as well as women, women-identifying artists, and nonbinary folx.
The funds can be used for people with low or no income from all backgrounds, as well as people who may have found themselves unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19.
But these funds don't just benefit those who receive them. The worldwide community will benefit.
I have been very fortunate in a few ways: I had access to classes, doors were opened to me, and I opened doors for myself.
With your help, we can help others receive that fortune, too! Most of the money from the fund will go to full and partial scholarships.
Some will go to offset the labor cost of doing free workshops and classes for Black people, women, and non binary folx, training them to facilitate improv workshops, and classes, and generally how to have confidence and take up space in an environment where this has never genuinely been cultivated.
The fund will also assist with marketing, advertising, and SEO optimization campaigns, and, lastly, it will help us purchase recording and sound equipment for when we are in a physical space.
One of the things that I have found challenging in Milwaukee was access to my own performances being recorded in order to send in to festivals for my teams. I have either had to pester former theaters to no avail, things were never recorded, or I have had to literally create a mock show in order to have something to submit. These things are time consuming, unnecessary, and left me without footage of really fun performances that showcased my skills, as well as others over the years. I want to eliminate that stress by being able to provide quality videos with sound, so teams can submit to festivals worldwide.
I am excited and humbled by the work I get to do and share.
Thank you for reading, assisting financially (if you are able), and sharing! Thank you to those who have already provided funds and scholarships to people who want to take classes! The response has been INCREDIBLE!!!
Let's transform what we are doing in this truly life-altering work, together!
Organizer
Michelle Gilliam
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI
