SKYWATCHERS is a radical, cross-cultural, intergenerational, mixed-ability community arts collaboration in San Francisco’s Tenderloin (TL) Neighborhood. In the streets, in urban plazas, and on the stage of theaters large and small, we co-create rigorous works of art that emerge from the life stories, concerns, and boldest dreams of TL artists. Our durational, relationship-driven work—of, by, and for Tenderloin residents with histories of housing insecurity and generational disenfranchisement—transforms all of us—from participant to witness—fostering solidarity across difference. We are committed to building an anti-racist, anti-patriarchal, de-colonial, inclusive art-movement, embodying our belief that all of our destinies are inextricably linked.
We envision a San Francisco, and a world, where the health and well-being of all residents is prioritized. We dream of a city that combats racism and classism through genuine civic engagement of all people regardless of their housing status, race, income level, sexuality, or ability.
We believe large-scale social change begins with forging enduring relationships of trust.
"Skywatchers is an ever-evolving process, based on the emergent needs of the community. It’s a practice of inspiring each other to remember who we are, to remember our power in the face of a culture that is hell bent on taking it away...It’s a launching pad from which we can move towards more equitable futures."
Relationship-driven and non-prescriptive, Skywatchers’ methodology focuses on collective creative process over artistic product by emphasizing four key values: Relational, Durational, Conversational, and Structural.
Skywatchers Lead Artists and Ensemble members collaborate on projects large and small, using a broad range of materials and mediums. The resulting works celebrate the lives, histories, wisdom, talents, and urgent concerns of Skywatchers participants.
The Skywatchers process is “of, by, and for” its participants—residents of the Tenderloin and beyond. Community ensemble members become storytellers, co-creators, performers, and audience members on a creative platform of their own making.
Skywatchers bridges community
engaged art, celebratory art, and interventionist practices in the service of social change. By building community and cultivating access to personal and creative resources, Skywatchers supports all participants in becoming agents for change in our own lives and in our community.
We have active partnerships with over a dozen Tenderloin based groups, venues, and organizations. Leveraging these cross-sector relationships, Skywatchers builds effective local coalitions, nurtures new audiences, and positions resident artists’ work in a variety of public settings.
The conditions of life in the Tenderloin—which we understand to be a defacto Containment Zone—are dehumanizing. Skywatchers circles of belonging are open to all and reconnect us to the reality that we are all inextricably linked.
