<div>I’m an artist, educator, and organizer who has spent years working in and around theatres, classrooms, and community rooms often in spaces that talk about equity but are structured to survive only through burnout, underpaid labor, and constant crisis. I've worked as a grassroots theatre artist traveling the globe, I've worked in one of the biggest theatre institutions in America as its literary manager, and I've worked in the smallest mom and pop bookstore selling books to the community. I’ve watched powerful stories disappear because there was no room for them. I’ve watched artists leave because they couldn’t afford to stay. And I’ve watched communities lose gathering spaces that once made them feel seen. This project was born out of that loss, and out of the belief that we can do better. 
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<div>We’re creating "New Diaspora", a small, flexible venue that functions as: an intimate theatre (60–80 seats), a curated independent bookstore, a modest beverage bar (coffee, beer, wine), and a gathering place for conversation, readings, performances, and rest. By day, it’s a bookstore and café. By night, it transforms into a performance space. All the time, it’s a place where people belong. This isn’t about building a monument. It’s about building infrastructure—the kind that keeps artists working, audiences returning, and money circulating locally. 
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<div> If this vision resonates with you, we’re inviting you to help bring it to life. Your support goes directly toward opening a safe, accessible space where stories can be shared, artists can be paid, and community can gather. Every contribution helps us build something that’s meant to last, not just open. If you’re not able to give financially right now, sharing this fundraiser is just as meaningful. Visibility helps us reach the people who are looking for a space like this—and who may not know it exists yet. By supporting this project, you’re not just funding a venue. You’re helping create affordable access to live performance and books, a sustainable home for local artists and writers, and a community-centered model that gives value back to its members. We’re building this with care, transparency, and intention—and we would be honored to build it with you. Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for believing that community spaces like this still matter. We can’t wait to welcome you inside.
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<div><strong>What We’re Building</strong>
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<div>We’re creating a small, flexible venue that functions as:
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<div><br />
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<div>An intimate theatre (60–80 seats)
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<div><br />
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<div>A curated independent bookstore
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<div><br />
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<div>A modest beverage bar (coffee, beer, wine)
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<div><br />
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<div>A gathering place for conversation, readings, performances, and rest
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<div><br />
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<div>By day, it’s a bookstore and café.
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<div>By night, it transforms into a performance space.
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<div>All the time, it’s a place where people belong.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This isn’t about building a monument.
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<div>It’s about building infrastructure—the kind that keeps artists working, audiences returning, and money circulating locally.
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<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Why We Need Help</strong>
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<div>Right now, the biggest barrier isn’t vision or community support—it’s startup capital.
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<div>We’re intentionally keeping this project:
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<div>Small
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<div>Flexible
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<div>Debt-light
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<div>Accessible
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<div>We’re not chasing luxury finishes or massive square footage. We’re focused on safety, accessibility, and sustainability. The funds raised here will go directly toward:
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<div>Required permits and inspections
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<div>ADA-compliant restrooms
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<div>Basic lighting and sound
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<div>Seating and modular staging
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<div>Book shelving and a simple beverage bar
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<div>In short: everything needed to legally and safely open the doors.
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<div><strong>How This Space Gives Back</strong>
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<div>This isn’t a traditional “donate and walk away” project.
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<div>We’re building a Costco-inspired community model, where membership fees stabilize operations and any surplus is returned to members as:
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<div>Free tickets
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<div>Bookstore credits
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<div>Food and beverage benefits
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<div>Community access nights
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<div>No outside shareholders.
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<div>No venture capital.
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<div>The community is the beneficiary.
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<div>Your support doesn’t just help us open—it helps us keep ticket prices affordable, pay artists fairly, and create a space that belongs to the people who use it.
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<div><strong>Why This Matters Now</strong>
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<div>Across the country, we’re losing third spaces—the places that aren’t home, aren’t work, but are essential to civic life. Independent bookstores are closing. Small theatres are disappearing. Community rooms are becoming luxury condos.
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<div>This fundraiser is an attempt to interrupt that pattern.
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<div>It’s a vote for:
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<div>Local and international storytelling that's bold and intimate
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<div>Shared ownership (without the red tape)
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<div>Art that lives where people live.
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<div><strong>How You Can Make a Difference</strong>
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<div>Every contribution—no matter the size—moves us closer to opening night.
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<div>Your support helps turn:
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<div>An empty room into a gathering place
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<div>Folding chairs into a full house
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<div>A good idea into a working model others can replicate
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<div>If you can’t give financially, sharing this fundraiser helps just as much.
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<div>Thank you for believing that art spaces can be generous, sustainable, and community-powered.
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<div>We can’t wait to welcome you inside.
</div>

idris goodwin

Don Shandrow

Elizabeth Conkle

Celeste Walker

Eric Pfeffinger

Help Build a Home for Art & Community

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Help Build a Home for Art & Community

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