Hope at the Intersection of Arts and Activism

While my job as a theatre director and producer and my participation as a volunteer with  community organizations might seem disparate, I see a direct and critical connection between my role at Actors Theatre of Louisville (ATL) and my membership with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC). The two use different approaches in service of the same goal – a more just and equitable society – and I believe they fundamentally need each other to succeed. Actors Theatre of Louisville is an arts and culture organization as social enterprise, and our primary tool is storytelling. Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is a grassroots movement, and our primary tool is direct action. The stories we foreground at ATL and the issues we advocate for through KFTC are all part of a hopeful and optimistic vision for a Kentucky in which people feel a sense of belonging and connection, a Kentucky in which we take care of one another.

"The stories we foreground at ATL and the issues we advocate for through KFTC are all part of a hopeful and optimistic vision for a Kentucky in which people feel a sense of belonging and connection, a Kentucky in which we take care of one another."

I always knew I needed all of the above to sustain me, but over time I have gained more and more passion in my belief that we all do. I love making art and sharing stories and I believe it changes lives. But sometimes it starts to feel abstract. For example, in summer 2020 when COVID-19 and state-sponsored racialized violence were devastating our communities, making art and sharing stories didn’t feel like “enough.” In those times, I have to invest my time and energy in direct action that offers stark perspective on the challenges people are facing – as well as the resilience and power people are demonstrating. Of course, the reverse is equally true. It’s profound to dedicate oneself to direct action, but the burnout rate amongst organizers is extreme. There comes a moment where it feels like “too much.” In those times, I find it affirming and restorative to turn to the arts and to stories. 

The most meaningful balance of all has come through the organic alignment of our mutual efforts. When KFTC is registering people to vote in the lobby at ATL, and then ATL is sharing a story on stage about Fannie Lou Hamer’s protest music or the cross-cultural coalition forged between the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, followed by organizers joining us after the performance for a community conversation, those are the moments when I truly feel hopeful that the Kentucky we are collectively envisioning is not only possible, we are already in the process of creating it.

- Amelia Acosta Powell

JCKFTC Member