PreEnactment Theater: Fighting Cultural Gentrification | Joanna Taft | TEDxWabashCollege
PreEnactment theater envisions a neighborhood the way it ought to be — just and economically vibrant. Listen to Joanna Taft as she dives deeper in to how PreEnactment theatre could change the way we strengthen neighborhoods and build communities. Joanna Taft is a cultural entrepreneur who serves as Founding Executive Director of the Harrison Center; Founder and Board Chair Emeritus of Herron High School; She is a national leader in creative placemaking. For these endeavors, she has received the Indianapolis Business Journal Women of Influence Award, the Girls Inc. Touchstone Award, Arts Council of Indianapolis Arts Council of Indianapolis ARTI Award, Jefferson Award, and two Cultural Vision awards. She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Class XXXII, was a 2012 Creative Renewal Fellow, and Covenant College. She also serves on the boards of Marion County Board of Zoning Appeals (Chair), Indianapolis Library Foundation, and the Katharine B. Sutphin Foundation (President). This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx Joanna’s life has revolved around using her entrepreneurial skills to build community in diverse settings—government, corporate, non-profit, and grassroots community-based organizations. Her most significant accomplishments include: serving as Founding Executive Director of the Harrison Center for the Arts (HCA), a leader in grassroots cultural development; Founder and Board Chair of Herron High School, a leading charter school in Indianapolis; and Founder of the Cultural Entrepreneur Initiative. For these endeavors, she has received the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award, and is a recipient of two Cultural Vision awards. Taft also serves on the boards of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis’ Spirit and Place Festival, Marion County Board of Zoning Appeals (Chair), and the Indiana Association for Community and Economic Development. In addition, she is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program, Class XXXII. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx