FAB is happy to announce we will begin offering workshops this September 2024!
Workshops range from theater and performing arts to visual arts and movement. Make art, learn something new, and connect with others at our home on East 4th Street — we’re excited to begin this journey in Downtown Art’s now fully renovated building!
Workshops we are currently offering are listed below. More to be announced! Stay tuned…
Questions? Reach out to dakota@fabnyc.org
Storytelling for Actors and Directors
6 sessions starting Monday, September 16
Teaching Artist: Ryan Gilliam
Mondays, 6:30-8pm | September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28
$168 | Registration Link
This workshop shares on-your-feet practices for theatrical storytelling using movement, music, a handful of everyday objects, and human invention. Playfulness and close ensemble work are key. Build your skills at creating theater when you have no budget but plenty of imagination – one of the most fun and freeing ways to work for both actors and directors.
About Ryan Gilliam: Ryan Gilliam has thirty years of experience working with creative ensembles to create theater that is evocative, playful, and powerful without relying on sets, traditional costuming, or other stage stuff. She has directed over 120 productions & she has staged everything from Shakespeare to Star Wars, from street musicals to classic cartoons to haunting folktales, with collaborative and adventurous performers, a few selected objects, plenty of movement, and some great recorded music.
Documentary Theater Lab (Bilingual English/Spanish)
6 sessions starting Monday, September 16
Teaching Artist: Antígona González
Mondays, 6:30-8:30pm | September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28
$168 | Registration Link
This workshop, open to English and Spanish speakers 16 and over, aims to explore and test some approaches to incorporating the use of documentary research in the creation of performing arts pieces. Participants will use materials from any type sources like newspapers, magazines, online research, books, personal and public archives, oral history interviews, found objects even social media to develop alternative narrative proposals for the stage. Participants will consider and question how stories are made, shared, and interpreted as they develop work in this performance lab and test possibilities for how to share them publicly. Participants will have the opportunity to present their work-in-progress pieces in a final performance.
About Antígona González: Antígona González is a Mexican theater maker as performer, director, producer and deviser. For over twenty years she has both developed theater pieces based on already written texts as well as co-created and devised documentary theater pieces for which the research materials are brought to explore in a laboratory work environment. She has been a member of Teatro Linea Sombra for over 15 years and co-founder of Aguaardiente Colectiva in 2012. Both experiences have helped her delve into the oral history and field research to create theatrical pieces.
Repeating Patterns: Beginner Stamp Making & Hand Sewing
5 sessions starting Saturday, September 21
Teaching Artist: Lena Feliciano Hansen
Saturdays, 11am-1pm | September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19
$135| Registration Link
Transform blank fabric into a one-of-a-kind throw pillow while diving into the vibrant world of stamp design and sewing. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll master the art of repeating patterns by designing and crafting your own custom stamps to imprint onto fabric. Learn the fundamentals of pattern creation and pair them with essential hand-sewing techniques to bring your vision to life. Whether you’re an experienced creator or just starting out, this workshop allows you to tailor your experience from simple designs to intricate creations.
About Lena Feliciano Hansen: Lena, born and raised in the Lower East Side, is a versatile multimedia artist with an education in art and design. Passionate about continuous learning, she dedicates her spare time to exploring new crafts and techniques. With a hands-on approach, Lena finds immense joy in learning by doing, thriving on the tactile experience of working with her hands. Each project she undertakes broadens her diverse skill set, which she is always eager to share with others.
Visualizing Family History: Beginner Block Printing
5 sessions starting Saturday, October 26
Teaching Artist: Lena Feliciano Hansen
Saturdays, 11am-1pm | October 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23; $135
$135| Registration Link
In this workshop, we will delve into the visuals that hold special significance when reflecting on our family and heritage. Like, Great Grandma’s rocking chair where she’d sit to tell stories carried for generations, or Tio scaling a coconut tree in the mountains of Puerto Rico, or 1st 2nd and 3rd cousins expertly knitting socks together in preparation for the winter… After sketching our scenes, we’ll explore fundamental printmaking techniques and preserve our family vignette into block prints.
About Lena Feliciano Hansen: Lena, born and raised in the Lower East Side, is a versatile multimedia artist with an education in art and design. Passionate about continuous learning, she dedicates her spare time to exploring new crafts and techniques. With a hands-on approach, Lena finds immense joy in learning by doing, thriving on the tactile experience of working with her hands. Each project she undertakes broadens her diverse skill set, which she is always eager to share with others.