Still Point Theatre Collective

### Context Profile for Still Point Theatre Collective

1. **Organization Mission & Cause:**
   - **Mission:** Still Point Theatre Collective is dedicated to using the art of theater as a tool for social change. They aim to foster community engagement and dialogue through applied theater techniques that address social issues and promote healing.
   - **Cause:** The organization focuses on creating spaces for marginalized voices, exploring social barriers, and advocating for policy changes through theater. Their events are designed to provoke thought and inspire action within communities.

2. **Type of Activities:**
   - **Events:** The organization hosts a variety of events, including the "Social Change Theater Festival," which features workshops, readings, panels, and performances centered around applied theater.
   - **Workshops:** They conduct workshops on topics such as Climate Theater and Theater of the Oppressed.
   - **Performances:** Collaborations with other theater groups, including Theatre Y and the MUD THEATRE PROJECT.
   - **Panels:** Discussions on themes like the intersection of applied theater and the carceral system, and the impact of trauma-informed processes in communities.
   - **Digital Engagement:** Some events are broadcast online, expanding accessibility to their programming.

3. **Tone of Voice:**
   - The tone of the website and communications is **friendly, inclusive, and inspiring**. It encourages participation and emphasizes community connection. The language is straightforward yet passionate, aiming to engage audiences and invite them into the conversation about social change.

4. **Emoji Usage:**
   - The website and communications do not prominently feature emojis. The tone remains professional and focused on the content rather than informal elements like emojis.

5. **Key Facts:**
   - **Founding Info:** Specific founding details are not provided on the website.
   - **Scale:** The organization has conducted 3 total forms and 5 email campaigns, indicating an active engagement strategy.
   - **Impact Metrics:** They aim to raise $15,000 for their festival through sponsorships, highlighting their reliance on community support.
   - **Volunteer Info:** While specific volunteer opportunities are not detailed, the emphasis on community suggests that volunteers may play a role in their events.

6. **Writing Guidelines:**
   - **Style:** Use clear, accessible language that invites participation. Aim for an inspiring and motivational tone that reflects the organization's mission of social change through theater.
   - **Structure:** Keep communications organized with headings and bullet points for clarity, especially when detailing events or workshops.
   - **Call to Action:** Encourage engagement through direct invitations to participate in events, support financially, or volunteer.
   - **Personalization:** Use a friendly and conversational approach, addressing the audience directly and making them feel part of the community.

This context profile should guide the creation of personalized and effective content for Still Point Theatre Collective, aligning with their mission and engaging their audience effectively.

LXCL:Thank you for your donation!

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Check made out to [STILL POINT THEATRE COLLECTIVE]
Contact us at stillpointtheatrecollective@gmail.com for us to coordinate with you.

Looking back, 2025 has been a very active year for us, and we want to make a direct appeal for your support so that we can continue our work with confidence in 2026. This year, Still Point has collaborated with over 50 different Chicago based organizations and collaborators. &nbsp;In January, Associate Director Kevin Aoussou directed Searching For Justice for the Mud Theatre Project in a premier at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, commissioned by Restore Justice Foundation. Our 2025 Inaugural Social Change Theater Festival this past March, involved more than 15 talks, performances, and panels held over the course of three days. &nbsp; Also in collaboration with The Mud Theatre Project, Still Point&rsquo;s Playwrights from the Inside Reading Series produced three readings: A Story of Violence by Toussaint Daniels, Glow by Jesse Martinez, and Broken Pieces by Brian Beals. This summer Beals&rsquo; play Jabril&rsquo;s Chains was workshopped, with staged productions happening in October. Our Persephone project programming for formerly and currently incarcerated women is still going strong through our partnership with St. Leonard&#39;s Ministry, Johnson County, and Cook County. A Family Affair, our fall Gracehouse Apprenticeship show debuted in November and we are eagerly searching for touring opportunities to religious and non-religious organizations. In fact, our programming at Grace House, led by Teaching Artist Joy Valdez-Pappas and I, has seen consistent success to the point where we are being invited to start a men&rsquo;s apprenticeship program in the spring of 2026.&nbsp; Our programming at Johnson County Correctional Center and at Cook Country correctional have both transitioned to weekly programming from bi-monthly, allowing us to better serve our incarcerated sisters. This November, we also premiered Executive Director Lisa Wagner-Carollo&rsquo;s new one woman show&nbsp;To Pray Marvelously Well: The Spiritual Friendship of St. Edith Stein and St. Teresa of Avila. And to top it all off, this year was the first time that we have run two programs in one year at Orchard Village for our Imagination Workshop for adults with developmental disabilities, and we have also continued our residency with SHORE led by James Cornollo and new Still Point teaching artist Victoria Cruz.&nbsp; We&rsquo;ve had other team members join us as part of our intern team, with Ben Montague and Sophie Wheeless joining as the Laura Callahan-Hazard and Ande-Torres interns through the summer of 2026. We have some consistent online programming that we would like you to join us for such as our Intergenerational Writing workshop led by Monica Sanchez that meets once a month, and our Thursday morning Meditations with Nicoya Helm are always open for drop ins. &nbsp; While we&rsquo;ve had so much to celebrate, we are also at a time of need. We completed our move to the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture hoping it would be our home for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, our lease has not been extended because of changes our landlord is implementing. The move in 2024 was an unprecedented feat for us and we find ourselves needing to launch into another move so soon. We are lucky enough to have found a new home after months of searching, joining Grace Church in Logan Square as a partner, moving into a long term home this January. Our collective is funded entirely by grants from organizations, and donations from individuals like you. This year has brought on unique financial challenges caused by government funding cuts. The support we&rsquo;ve received from donors has carried us far, and we still need your help to sustain our programming as we take on the challenges 2026 has in store for us. If you can spare it this holiday season, consider giving any amount to help us continue our mission of bringing socially focused performing arts.

<span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, We are truly grateful for your support and commitment to the Still Point Theatre Collective 2025 Fundraising Salon. Your registration means so much to us and fuels our mission to share the stories of underserved communities through theatre. As we prepare for this event, your involvement helps bring our community together and keep important conversations alive. With your help, we are one step closer to our 2025 Fundraising goal! Thank you for being an integral part of our journey towards a more equitable future. We look forward to the impactful moments we will create together. Warm regards, The Still Point Theatre Collective Team

Looking back, 2025 has been a very active year for us, and we want to make a direct appeal for your support so that we can continue our work with confidence in 2026. This year, Still Point has collaborated with over 50 different Chicago based organizations and collaborators.  In January, Associate Director Kevin Aoussou directed Searching For Justice for the Mud Theatre Project in a premier at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, commissioned by Restore Justice Foundation. Our 2025 Inaugural Social Change Theater Festival this past March, involved more than 15 talks, performances, and panels held over the course of three days.   Also in collaboration with The Mud Theatre Project, Still Point’s Playwrights from the Inside Reading Series produced three readings: A Story of Violence by Toussaint Daniels, Glow by Jesse Martinez, and Broken Pieces by Brian Beals. This summer Beals’ play Jabril’s Chains was workshopped, with staged productions happening in October. Our Persephone project programming for formerly and currently incarcerated women is still going strong through our partnership with St. Leonard's Ministry, Johnson County, and Cook County. A Family Affair, our fall Gracehouse Apprenticeship show debuted in November and we are eagerly searching for touring opportunities to religious and non-religious organizations. In fact, our programming at Grace House, led by Teaching Artist Joy Valdez-Pappas and I, has seen consistent success to the point where we are being invited to start a men’s apprenticeship program in the spring of 2026.  Our programming at Johnson County Correctional Center and at Cook Country correctional have both transitioned to weekly programming from bi-monthly, allowing us to better serve our incarcerated sisters. This November, we also premiered Executive Director Lisa Wagner-Carollo’s new one woman show To Pray Marvelously Well: The Spiritual Friendship of St. Edith Stein and St. Teresa of Avila. And to top it all off, this year was the first time that we have run two programs in one year at Orchard Village for our Imagination Workshop for adults with developmental disabilities, and we have also continued our residency with SHORE led by James Cornollo and new Still Point teaching artist Victoria Cruz.  We’ve had other team members join us as part of our intern team, with Ben Montague and Sophie Wheeless joining as the Laura Callahan-Hazard and Ande-Torres interns through the summer of 2026. We have some consistent online programming that we would like you to join us for such as our Intergenerational Writing workshop led by Monica Sanchez that meets once a month, and our Thursday morning Meditations with Nicoya Helm are always open for drop ins.   While we’ve had so much to celebrate, we are also at a time of need. We completed our move to the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture hoping it would be our home for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, our lease has not been extended because of changes our landlord is implementing. The move in 2024 was an unprecedented feat for us and we find ourselves needing to launch into another move so soon. We are lucky enough to have found a new home after months of searching, joining Grace Church in Logan Square as a partner, moving into a long term home this January. Our collective is funded entirely by grants from organizations, and donations from individuals like you. This year has brought on unique financial challenges caused by government funding cuts. The support we’ve received from donors has carried us far, and we still need your help to sustain our programming as we take on the challenges 2026 has in store for us. If you can spare it this holiday season, consider giving any amount to help us continue our mission of bringing socially focused performing arts.

Still Point Theatre Collective

Still Point Theatre Collective 2025 End of Year Fundraiser

Donor Level 1

$10,000

Donor Level 2

$5,000

Donor Level 3

$1,500

Donor Level 4

$1,000

Donor Level 5

$500

Donor Level 6

$250

Donor Level 7

$100

Donor Level 8

$50

Donor Level 9

$25

Donor Level 10

$10

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