Destiny Arts Center

Destiny Arts Center seeks to inspire and ignite social change through movement arts. The center’s professional teaching artists also work with more than 3,000 primarily low-income youth and youth of color, aged three to 18, both at the organization’s home campus in Oakland, and at 24 schools and community centers throughout the East Bay. Each year, Destiny Arts Center’s two youth performing companies collaborate to produce an original piece of musical theater for more than 20,000 audience members. This grant to Destiny Arts Center aligns with the Performing Arts Program’s Youth strategy, and will advance the organization’s adaptation planning and implementation.

In recognition of the Hewlett Foundation’s 50th anniversary, the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions initiative supports the creation and premiere of 50 exceptional works of performing arts. Destiny Arts Center’s "The Black (W)hole" is a multi-disciplinary theater project that addresses urban youth homicide and gentrification in Oakland by centering Black culture as a vehicle for resistance and spiritual renewal. This supplemental grant will help the organization reconfigure the project in response to changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. This grant advances the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions initiative.