Passionate Persuasions Mission

MISSION AND SCOPE

Passionate Persuasions is a platform for Arts and Educational events in the NYC area. Fighting stigma with intimacy encapsulates our mission. When stigma is created by society, dismantling it must be a communal endeavor. In having intimacy as a topic for public consideration, we've created an empowering concept to drive our work. This concept applies both in what we create and how we create it.

Passionate Persuasions creates transformative experiences for both artists and audience members through creative expression. With a focus on multi-disciplinary performances, inclusive of art, spoken word, music, movement, writing, theatre and visual mediums, programming takes the form of festivals, theatrical productions, studio recordings, and gallery installations. Educationally, we host panel discussions, workshops, podcasts, and a video series. These two areas are often presented side by side, creating a multidimensional experience. Further expanding on this experience, secondary media is generated from most of these events in the form of zines, transcripts, and audio/visual documentation.

THEORETICAL CONTEXT

Blending Humanist techniques developed in the field of psychotherapy with Egalitarian economic models, Passionate Persuasions has created a unique space for transformative emotional and artistic experiences. One such transformation has been the ability to create art without emotional leverage. Empowering artists throughout the rehearsal and performance process has significantly improved the quality of work they produce.

Similarly, presenting performances and educational content in a liberated context has had a profound impact on our fans. Continuing to develop and diversify our interaction with fans furthers our mission of making the fight against stigma a communal endeavor.

EMOTIONAL DYNAMIC DURING PRODUCTION

Rehearsals begin with a deconstruction of expectations and obligations from conventional rehearsal structures. Passionate Persuasions’ directors emphasize allowances and permissions for emotional processing, whether it is related to the work or not. This empowered atmosphere cultivates self-compassion and overall acceptance and mutual forgiveness in the cast and crew. This kindness isn’t just encouraged but is itself part of the artistic process. The work is meant to carry a tone of forgiveness and acceptance. When life happens and seems to get in the way of the work, being able to count on the forgiveness and emotional support of the ensemble removes a great deal of unnecessary stress.

In addition to each rehearsal being liberated, the commitment/performer contract is also liberated. Ending participation in the production at any point receives no penalty. This is important because involvement can never be coerced. The emotional well-being of the individual greatly outweighs any other concern. The ensemble fills in the space through adapting with the changes. The ability to shift and accommodate is a powerful advantage of improvisational mediums. With this equal footing between performer and director, the interest of making the artistic process transformative one of personal growth, healing, and discovery.