UPCOMING

ABOUT US

Front Porch Arts Collective creates Black-centric theatrical experiences that reckon with the world as it is and imagine what it could be.

Driven by the lack of professional opportunities for artists of color, particularly Black artists, and a calling to address racial inequities within Boston’s theatre landscape, artists Maurice Emmanuel Parent and Dawn M. Simmons co-founded the Front Porch Arts Collective (The Porch) in 2016 . The Porch was born out of a desire to rewrite Boston’s cultural narrative, a city long marked by visible segregation in the arts and chronic under-representation of communities of color. The “Porch” moniker evokes the spirit of a communal gathering place, a space for dialogue, reflection, and joy, where Black people are centered and all communities are invited to take a seat, share stories, and be seen.

Since its founding, The Porch has become a force for transformation in New England’s arts ecosystem. The company is dedicated to: examining the intersections of race, culture, economics, ability, gender, and sexuality through the lens of people of color; challenging biased narratives; and retaining diverse talent by ensuring representation onstage, backstage, in offices, and in boardrooms. Central to its works is the belief that theatre can be a tool for social change, training the next generation of artists of color while producing work that is artistically rigorous, emotionally resonant, and unapologetically inclusive. 

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