Studio Stories: Reminiscing Twin Cities Dance History with Sandy Agustin - Season 7, Episode 95

Sandra Agustin; she/her/titaCre8tive Navigator Facilitator/ArtistSandy has an extensive history of arts, social and racial justice and leadership. She is a nativeMinnesotan, the youngest child of a Filipino immigrant and 5th generation Euro-Minnesotan.Since the age of 9, she has professionally performed and taught dance, later moving into artsadministration as executive and artistic director at Intermedia Arts where she curated,fundraised, managed, consulted artists and built relationships. She is a former co-artistic coremember of Mu Performing Arts where she acted, directed, choreographed over 20 shows andwas an early member of the Asian American Renaissance. Since its inception in 2002, Sandyhas frequently co-facilitated cohorts of arts and community development leaders in the Creative Community Leadership Initiative alongside Bill Cleveland of the Center for the Study of Art and Community. She has served on non-profit boards including the Minnesota Dance Alliance, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts/MCA, and currently serves on the boards of Maji ya chai Land Sanctuary, Speaking Out Collective and the Tango Society of Mn. As a resident teaching artist through the Children’s Theatre Company's Neighborhood Bridges program Sandy led an in-school critical literacy and theatre program engaging young people to question power, write their own stories and develop community . She recently co-founded Theatre 55 providing performance opportunities for folks over 55 years of age, where she also occasionally performs and choreographs. Sandy is a part of the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership's artist roster, working in St. Peter, MN. She is a performer and choreographer and contributor with Pangea World Theatre's latest production called Life Born of Fire, an ensemble based public performance ritual, created in a post-uprising Minneapolis environment.Sandy's recent facilitations have included ArtPlace America and the Local Control Local Fields program, Southwest Initiative Foundation, a rural community development organization; Leadership on the Way a two-year leadership mentoring program for associate Lutheran pastors across the US; Longfellow Rising a newly formed organization committed to an equitable rebuild in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the uprisings that took place in South Minneapolis. She considers herself a cre8tive navigator, helping individuals and organizations to find their creative "north". She sees her calling and role in shifting energy, holding tender and playful space and validating all perspectives. She brings creative/arts based engagement tools and deep listening practices as mentor-learner into every and all settings. She is currently the Director of Creative Engagement for Inspire to Change, LLC., whose mission is to support purpose driven change and change makers around the globe.Aside from the arts, she is an advocate-lover for all animal species, the environment and HIV/AIDS causes.