Artichoke Dance Community Based Programs.
Our programs merge performing and visual arts, ecological activism and education. From one hour workshops to programs spanning several years, audiences are delighted and participants gain skills in creativity, movement, research, advocacy, community building, and empowerment.
Artichoke Dance is a national leader in eco-arts activism and community engagement programs.
We work with communities and organizations to create meaningful place-based programs infused with eco-arts activism.
Gowanus Visions involved local artists, high school students, and community organizations through months of activities leading to a day-long festival.
COMMUNITy programs
Our place-based approach engages communities in their most pressing environmental issues. From the Gowanus Canal, one of the nation’s most polluted waterways located in our own backyard, to the Los Angeles River and Biscayne Bay in Miami, to isolated rural immigrant communities, our work has both broad impact and involves individuals in life changing work.
Community Project Examples
Perils of Plastics Project
A collaboration with SurfriderNYC and 350Brooklyn, this project included a beach clean up, participatory art build from collected materials, educational panel, and a performance installation that won the Judge’s Choice Award in the 2024 Mermaid Day Parade at Coney Island, reaching over 500,000 viewers with the message of the perils of plastic pollution and the threat to the oceans. Learn more about the Perils of Plastics Project.
Youth, adults and company members perform the Global Water Dance.
global water dances New york
As a regional organizer for Global Water Dances, advocating for the right to safe and clean water worldwide, we engage youth, adults, educators and activists biennially to learn about and focus on local water issues affecting their lives, advocate for sustainable solutions, and envisioning new futures.
Other Community Engagement Activities
Our 2019 Beach Clean Up engaged 65 volunteers who collected 220 pounds of trash.
Beach Clean Ups
Our annual beach clean up on the shores of New York City have engaged hundreds of hands in collecting and cataloguing thousands of pounds of trash. More and more of what we find is plastic. Performance and participatory visual art builds accompany the collections and provide an opportunity to engage creatively with the found materials.
Workshops for members of Operation Unite New York culminated in a performance parade in Hudson, NY.
trashion creation
Trashion is fashion made from trash. We use mainly recycled plastic materials and guide participants to create elaborate costumes and ready wearables. From halloween costumes to marches and protests to fashion shows, participants engage in creative reuse while learning about the waste stream and plastic production, employing zero-waste practices.
Students at Rider University work with used plastics from dining services to create sets for theatrical productions.
Sustainable Practices
We work with organizations, schools and communities to target waste materials headed to refashion into useful and artistic objects. Find out more about our past work in this area.