New Perspectives on Art
by Alyssa Fox
I never thought my perspective on art could shift so much before I became apart of coLAB Arts. I have had a love for the theatre and performing since I was in the third grade as well as an overwhelming urge to make an impact on my community, and I never knew how to combine the two as I was growing up. But this all changed when I first had the pleasure of meeting John Keller in my sophomore year at Rutgers University and he was the professor for my Global Theatre lecture. His passion for theatre and its capability for social development was palpable and drew me in immediately. It was almost like a lightbulb when off in my head saying, “this is it, this is how I can combine the two things I love most”.
John inspired me to consider the impact theatre truly has on society and the changes that can come from a purposeful, distinguished piece of art. I love performing and providing meaningful content for an audience and this organization brought me closer to the purpose of public work, especially with the incorporation of the local community. I took part in John’s class called Theatre for Social Development and had the honor of having site visits at their central location once a week with one fellow classmate to discuss a plethora of old and new art for social development coLAB was working on.
This experience further expanded and deepened my knowledge of how art can play a role in connecting and transforming a community through studies of local oral histories and art collaborations they were working on. At first, the thought of pursuing an internship with this incredible group of people felt daunting considering my lack of knowledge in advocacy and community engagement. But the comforting, engaging, and creative environment the coLAB office provided motivated me to inquire about my current education internship position.
As soon as the internship began I knew this was going to become not only an educational experience for myself and fellow interns, but a transformative one. I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was apart of something much bigger than myself. Performing was no longer something I considered purely for entertainment, there was a specific purpose and aid we were going to be providing. I have been invited to synergetic meetings held by John and his partner in crime Dan, as well as a plethora of collaborators and influential art makers in the New Brunswick community and throughout Middlesex County. I was unclear about how I would be able to assist with such accomplished individuals, having still been enrolled at Rutgers.
Watching and assisting the organization complete ongoing transformative art involving underserved and underrepresented communities and being able to further the creation of these projects has been an invigorating adventure that I continuously grow from. coLAB has given me the inside scoop and hands-on experience into what making purposeful, transformative art truly means while never failing to provide an educational and inspiriting environment.
Since the start of my time with coLAB, I have been motivated to pursue my acting and educational career even further. However, coLAB has opened my eyes to the power of theatre and its message. This organization has motivated me to continuously strive for the enlightening of audiences and the creation of illuminative work for the greater good of my immediate community and society as a whole.
Alyssa Fox is a graduating Rutgers University Theater Major who worked with coLAB Arts as an Education Intern during the Spring 2020 semester.