What We Are

 
 
 

MISSION

folkLAB is an interdisciplinary, devised, performance and art project as well as an artistic community network dedicated to fair representation, compensation and access in the arts. Our two series in Our Voice and miniMythologies foster the creation of brand new performance and art pieces created by under-represented artist. Our work is inspired by the intersection of personal narrative, myths & archetypes, and identity through the lenses of intersectionality, abolition, and collective liberation. Through this work we aim to create a new, decolonized folklore that truly represents our diverse world as it is today.

We thrive by prioritizing, uniting and resourcing under-represented artists with the common goal of devising new, world-premiere, work-in-progress, performance and art pieces in intensive, short incubation periods. As part of their work artists of multiple disciplines and skill levels are encouraged to rely on resource and skill sharing in an interdisciplinary approach to art-making. The art-making process invites artists to consider their well-being and capacity and adapt the process itself in order to become as accessible as possible. The results are an equitable art-making process and performance and art pieces that provoke our cultural expectations and perceptions of identity and story-telling.

During the COVID-19 pandemic folkLAB has begun to lean into partnerships with likeminded community organizers and educators to create and curate free-to-all digital content and programing that promotes creativity, learning & unlearning, and the values or radical care and collective liberation.


folkLAB’s commitment to its artists is reflected in its promise to profit share with its participating artists on each and every project because we believe that fair compensation is the key to a healthy, well-resourced, Pittsburgh arts community.