Excited to share that the Data Theatre Collaborative won a “Heart of CommUNITY” award from Northeastern University for our work with Livable Streets Alliance and Hyde Park Task Force youth.
Moira Zellner and I receiving the award. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
I’ve always believed that data should be accessible to everyone, not just analysts. That’s why the Data Theatre Collaborative is working to transform how communities engage with data through participatory civic theater practices. We partnered with the Hyde Park Task Force youth and Livable Streets Alliance to reimagine the SouthWest Corridor Park redevelopment. Instead of defaulting to traditional PowerPoint presentations that often exclude many community members, we brought survey data to life through theatrical performance.
Working alongside theater artists, we devised a 10-minute performance that presented the data in an engaging, accessible format. Our early results show that this approach is truly transformative - not only in how people understand the data but in who participates in these civic discussions.
I’m particularly proud of how this project demonstrates that data analysis doesn’t have to be confined to spreadsheets and graphs. By making these presentations more participatory, we’re helping ensure that community decisions are truly inclusive and representative of all voices.
