Congratulations to the Data Theatre Collective for receiving a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation.

This grant falls under the Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning program. Institutions could submit a proposal with a focus on Cultures of US Democracy, Environmental Justice Studies, or Social Justice and Disciplinary Knowledge.

The Data Theatre Collective’s project, Civic Data Theatre, spans several years with the goals of “develop[ing] novel, humanistic ways to engage diverse groups in data-centered civic decision-making processes; increas[ing] self-efficacy surrounding civic participation among people who are often left out of municipal decision-making processes; increas[ing] policymakers’ understanding and incorporation of residents’ perspectives; iterat[ing] and disseminat[ing] Civic Data Theatre as a humanistic method for supporting justice-oriented participation and action in civic and academic settings.”

The Collective includes a multi-disciplinary team of faculty from across CAMD with the aim to “reimagine how community meetings and data-informed democracies work, making government decision-making accessible to people who might otherwise be excluded from or alienated by it.” Faculty members include Dani Snyder-Young (Theatre), Michael Arnold Mages (Art + Design), Rahul Bhargava (Art + Design), Jonathan Carr (Theatre), Antonio Ocampo-Guzman (Theatre), Laura Perovich (Design), Moira Zellner (Public Policy & Urban Affairs) and PhD student Angelique Motunrayo Folasade Akiya C-Dina.

“I’m looking forward to exploring ways theatre processes can support data-driven civic deliberation and decision making,” Dani Snyder-Young said.