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Reenah Golden (she/they)
Founder | CEO & Artistic Director
[ Meet the Founder ]
Welcome to The Avenue! Founded in January of 2018 and launched on June 7th, 2018, The Avenue Blackbox & Avenue Children's Theatre Project are directed executively and artistically by local and international "artivist", Reenah Golden. Many have showered Reenah, who was born and raised in Rochester, NY with compliments and praise for "re-igniting local theatre" as a "community treasure" for this latest leap of faith. To that she would humbly say that the community she has cultivated is in fact the treasure and she is proud to extend her light to the Avenue.
To the Avenue, Reenah brings an unparalleled passion to the development of performing arts, which she has done tirelessly for over 20 years locally, nationally and abroad, using the sta...
[ Community Partners ]
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Action for a Better Community (ABC)
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Black Healers Network
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Breathing Fire Poetry Slam
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Brothahood Productions
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Caribbean Heritage Restaurant
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Create a Space Now
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Darkblue Mondaze
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East High School
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540W Main
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490 Farmers
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Foodlink
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Free the People ROC
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Geva Theatre Center
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Grits Entertainment
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Herb Smith & Freedom Trio
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Kuumba Consultants
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Maplewood Performing Arts Centre (MPAC)
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Monroe Community College
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MuCCC Theatre
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Next Generation Men of Transition
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North Star Players
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Oakland Black Pride
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ROC Food Relief
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ROC Freedom Riders
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Rochester Black Pride
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Rochester Bronze Collective
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Rochester Artist Collaborative
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Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
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Rochester Institute of Technology
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Sankofa Family Counseling Services
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Sankofa Theatre Festival
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Spiritus Christi/SPARC
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Starvin Artist
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Strategic Community Partners CREATE Accelerator
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Ubuntu Village Works
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University of Rochester
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W.A.V.E.
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Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley
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Writers and Books
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Yoga 4 a Good Hood
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Youth Speaks/Brave New Voices
[ Purpose ]
The Avenue Blackbox Theatre cut our ribbon on June 7, 2018 with a sidewalk overflowing with love and support from the community, and all but ONE of our 9 city council members present!
The Avenue Blackbox Theatre located at 780 Joseph Avenue in Historic 14621 Neighborhood is well on our mission to provide affordable, meaningful, culturally rich experiences in a wide array of artistic disciplines to city of Rochester residents and visitors. We are a safe, bold, creative Queer-space highlighting art and content created by artists of color, youth and collaborators traditionally marginalized or silenced. We co-create equitable opportunities for and with these artists. We create home.
The Avenue is the first fully-programmed performing arts venue in the northeast quadrant of Rochester. Building the Avenue has been a wholehearted community effort propelled by love, volunteer hours, angels, private donations, and a hilariously viral GoFundMe campaign.
Home of the Avenue Children's Theatre Project, we are a fully-accessible space for all levels of mobility that thrives off collaboration including partnering organizations/companies including Rochester Black Pride, Northstar Players, Rochester Bronze Collective, Rochester Latino Theatre Company (RLTC), Created 2 Inspire, We All Write, Create a Space Now and the Avenue Children’s Theatre Project (A.C.T.) including noDramaClub. Together, we will pave an exciting new way in helping transform this underserved community. Our collective vision is safe, bold and creative space for vibrant artistic expression, healing & personal development and community wellness. Our mission is to curate moments that elevate the voices, interests and art of the marginalized in this space and beyond. Our work nationally includes collaborative productions with partnering artists and companies in NYC, Oakland, and LA.
Exposure to, experience in, and application of arts have proven to raise academic achievement, pride in community ownership, and economic vitality to any community that truly embraces and invests in it. One building, one block at a time, we can and will transform our community, with your help. We simply ask that you keep believing and keep showing up to dream with us, play with us, grow with us!
Thank You | Asante Sana!
- The Avenue Dream Team
#blackartmatters
#blacklivesmatter
#queerlivesmatter
#translivesmatter
BLACK.
