Dr. Iquail Shaheed

Iquail is the executive artistic director of Dance Iquail, a Philadelphia-based dance company working at the intersection of dance and social justice. Dr. Shaheed has performed in the companies of Ronald K Brown/ Evidence, Fred Benjamin Dance Company, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and on Broadway in The Lion King among others. Dr. Shaheed serves on the faculty at Goucher College, The Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and NAISDA Dance College in Sydney, Australia. He received a BFA from The University of the Arts, an MFA from Purchase College – SUNY, and in 2022 he became the first Black man to earn a Ph.D.in dance from Texas Woman’s University.

Veronica Chapman-Smith

Veronica Chapman-Smith (she/they) is Vice President of Community Initiatives at Opera Philadelphia. Their role focuses on the company’s educational and community-centric initiatives, as well as acts as senior management in equity and inclusion efforts. Prior to working at Opera Philadelphia, they worked as an artist in residence at Temple University, a soloist and chorister for 16 years including as a member of the Grammy-Award winning The Crossing. They are also an Associate Artist with The Bearded Ladies. They were selected for the Urban League’s Philadelphia African American Leadership Development Forum class of 2021 as well as artEquity’s BIPOC Leadership Circle 2021 cohort.

Cat Ramirez

Cat Ramirez (they/he/she) is a Philly-based theatre director and performance producer. They love giant logistical puzzles, community meals, and bisexual lighting. Recent directing collaborations include Villanova University, Temple University, Philly Young Playwrights, PlayPenn, Lxs Primxs, Theatre Exile, Hedgerow Theatre Company, and Mel Hsu. They are the Creative Director for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA), the Staff Producer for the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, and a Worker-Owner for Obvious Agency. More at catramirez.com

Amanda Newman Godfrey

Amanda Newman-Godfrey is an Associate Professor of Art Education at Moore College of Art and Design. She is an ABD Doctoral Candidate in Art and Art Education at Teachers College Columbia University. She has been an art educator in PreK-12 schools, state agencies, and in higher education for 27 years. She has presented at numerous conferences, was the recipient of the Doctoral Dissertation Grant for outstanding research, and was named a “Rising Star in Higher Education” by TC Today magazine. She is the co-author of a book chapter and several articles on art and disability, assessment and critique in higher education, and pedagogy.

donia salem harhoor

donia salem harhoor (they/she) is a disabled, diasporic egyptian anthophile and caregiver who works with writing, dance, herbalism, site-specific performance, movement, and film. Executive Director of The Outlet Dance Project, founder of the Duniya Collective, and Co-artistic Director of Sakshi Productions, they currently serve as chair for the Odissi Alliance of North America (OANA) and as a member of NJ Theater Alliance’s Creating Change Committee. donia’s poetry has received support from Periplus, RAWI, Lambda Literary, Roots.Wounds.Words, Tin House, Open Mouth Poetry, Swim Pony, and others. Their MFA in Interdisciplinary art is from Goddard College. Their work often explores practices of care and dedication along with the blessings and curses of distance from land, community, and beloveds, of what the weight of legacy and responsibility feel like. They know it is a sacred and essential duty of every single one of us to do everything in our personal and collective power every single day to refuse the genocides being perpetrated right now. We only have each other.

blew kind

blew kind (she/her) is a black woman, mother, artist, entrepreneur, and aligned-being advocate. blew creates transformational experiences where folks can connect deeper within themselves and each other toward their highest self. blew offers moments of pause, conversation, and discovery where we can experience daily magic, while being open to heal individually and collectively. Her play involves poetry, crafting, dance, and space-making. Embracing her afro-indigenous lineage, she blends her cultural curiosity in all the projects she facilitates. blew studied theatre at University of the Arts and is a lifetime student of African dance, diasporic storytelling, and living communally with the earth and each other. blew has founded multiple cultural community-based organizations and currently runs rad.Love, oguyo counsulting, Koku-Roko Learning Co-op, and d’griot wellness café. blew is currently on the board of Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA), Harriet’s BookCLUB, Literacy Rich Neighborhood, and Koku-Roko. She holds the 2022 PACDC Equitable Entrepreneur award and was nominated for SustainPHL Social Impact in 2019 for her work with Franny Lou’s Porch. She currently collaborates as a teaching artist and consultant with GREAT (Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together), Artwell, and Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School.

Symone Salib

Symone Salib (she/her) is a first-generation Cuban / Egyptian muralist, illustrator, and trauma-informed educator whose art centers on the storytelling of community members through large-scale public installations. Strongly rooted in portraiture, her work envisions a world of radical possibilities where equality and justice are at the center. By focusing on the voices and faces of marginalized communities, Symone uses her art to uplift and amplify those who are often overlooked. Her community-based practice reflects her belief that art should be accessible to all. By creating work in public spaces, she ensures that everyone, regardless of background, can engage with and experience art. She believes public art is not just about beautifying a space; it’s about providing visibility and recognition to the people who make up the fabric of the community. Symone’s work is a tribute to the resilience and strength of her subjects, whom she depicts with deep admiration and respect. She wants people to feel seen, heard, and valued through her art, believing that representation and recognition are vital to fostering a sense of belonging. At the heart of her practice is a commitment to creating art that empowers individuals and strengthens the bonds within her community.

D’quan Tyson

D’quan Tyson (he/him) is an active arts administrator and freelance performer based in Philadelphia. He works in the non-profit sector as the Orchestral and In-School Programs Coordinator at Musicopia & their affiliate organization-Dancing Classrooms Philly. He strives to merge his love of performance and passion for education. The two sentiments intersect at helping guide young musicians. Over his professional career, he has had the pleasure of performing with various organizations including the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia (Section Leader), Old Pine Presbyterian Church (Section Leader), the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Opera Philadelphia (Sub Roster), Coro Mundi, and the Princeton Festival (Chorister). In the summer of 2023, he was a cohort member for the premiere of Freedom is a Constant Struggle in the Lincoln Center Summer Stage series at Damrosch Park. D’quan graduated with a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College and has completed coursework in trauma-informed practice and socioemotional learning from The Bartol Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania: Graduate School of Education. He is thrilled to contribute to the extensive efforts and community support the Bartol Foundation provides!

Karen Smith

Karen “Magic Fingaz” Smith (she/her) is a percussionist, poet, playwright, producer, and teaching artist. Karen is a recipient of numerous of grants including Leeway Foundation’s Art and Change and Illuminate the Arts Grants and received a Pew Fellowship in 2023 from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. Karen has sat on many panels and boards. The Brooklyn-Native, Philly Resident, is one of the most sought after multidisciplinary artists in the area, having worked with many individual artists, groups, theatrical production companies, studio recordings as well as traveling various places spreading healing rhythmic energies, and taking part in an Art-in-Residence program in Downtown Greensboro area this past October. “Possible is Possible”!! IG: karensmithdrums Website: www.karensmithdrums.com

Duwenavue Santé Johnson

Duwenavue Santé Johnson (she/her) is a Visual Artist, Hand Embroiderer, and Curator whose practice explores the connections between cultural narratives through hand embroidery and textile arts. She delves into the stories of marginalized communities, interweaving historical and contemporary themes to create pieces that resonate with a powerful sense of place and history, aiming to inspire reflection and appreciation for the multifaceted nature of our world. Since Oct 2015, she has served as a Senior Hand Embroiderer at the Defense Logistics Agency, Institute of Heraldry in Philadelphia, where she specializes in hand embroidery of
U.S. Presidents’ and Vice Presidents’ Flags, serving also as P.O.C., Curator, Exhibitor, and Docent for the Heraldics collection, while managing aspects of textiles preservation and media relations. Concurrently, she applies her curatorial and educational skills as a volunteer Exhibition Curator and Hand Embroidery Teacher at the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania.

Technically, she holds a Certificate and Diploma with Merit from the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) in the UK and Ecole Lesage in Paris, France, with a 6 month of study Certificate from The Hang Sang Soo Embroidery Museum (Seoul, South Korea), and advanced training in Hawaiian Traditional Feather Lei-Making in Honolulu, HI. Her artistic work has been recognized and exhibited widely. Her piece, “An Unstitched Coif,” was recently acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK. She has received numerous grants and awards, including Radical America! Research and Exhibition Grant, the Rebeccah Milena Maia Blum Curatorial Fellowship, and multiple Black Music City Grant Awards. Solo Exhibitions at venues in Philly include Tiger Strikes Asteroid, the Free Library of Philadelphia (MSAC 250 Semiquincentennial Flag), A.I.R Gallery NY, NY. Her work has also been featured in numerous Selected Group Exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally, including at Drexel University, the CICA Museum in South Korea, and Bloc Projects in England. Her work and the “Flag Room” at DLA have been featured in major news outlets, including NPR and 6ABC.

Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore

Philadelphia native, artistically raised by New Freedom Theatre/Patricia Scott Hobbs & Master Horton Teacher, the late Faye B. Snow, Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore is the Founder, CEO and Artistic Director of performing arts organization/professional dance company
DANSE4NIA/Phoenix Danse. A doctoral candidate pursuing her PhD in Dance Philosophy, Antoinette holds a BFA and MA in Dance Education and Performance from University of the Arts and New York University. Antoinette benefited from opportunities training and performing with training program/2 company of Philadanco, LEJA Dance Theatre, as founding company member of Eleone Dance Theatre, artist in New Freedom Repertory Theatre, toured with Forces of Nature Dance Theater Company , guest artist with Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Ballethnic’s Leopard Tales, Melissa Vaugh’s Shaka Zula and on-screen appearances in independent films and commercials. As a choreographer, Antoinette’s work has appeared on notable stages like Joe’s Pub, Aaron Davis Hall, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and the Strayhorn, to name a few. As adjunct dance faculty at Drexel, Antoinette is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., member of Actor’s Equity, member/conference attendee of Dance Studies Association, International Association for Blacks in Dance, Collegium for African Diaspora Dance, a former grant panelist of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership and currently serves as a board member for Danse4Nia and Pennsylvania Dance Educators Organization.