Our Mission

See Saw is an applied theatre company that works with community members and local artists to create interactive projects that provoke:

• hands on learning experiences
• a deeper sense of community
• reflection about identity 
• leadership cultivation
• the freedom to play no matter what age

Our Values

We work from a participant-centered model, which means that our projects are creating WITH communities rather than "for." We value our participants' stories, cultural identities, and the needs of their community. From these experiences, we can work together to create theatre and art that tells our stories in variety of forms. We also value impactful artistic experiences, which means that the artistry in our work is extremely important. You'll find us working side by side with professional artists and community members who do not consider themselves artists. This partnership provides two way learning, and helps set our team and participants up for success in whatever artistic process they engage in.

See Saw's work is based in Paulo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, "which offers an approach to education and organizing to transform oppressive structures and create a more equitable, caring and beautiful world through action and reflection that is co-created with those who have been marginalized..." (practicingfreedom.org)

Amy Sawyers-Williams, founding artistic director, received her Masters in Applied Theatre from the CUNY School of Professional Studies, which is the foundation for the creation of See Saw. 

Banner photo credit: CUNY MA in Applied Theatre