Our Stage / Our Voices (OS/OV) exists to provide opportunities for performing artists who are members of historically underrepresented communities to address the issues of inequality in the regional performing arts with the goal of achieving diversity and inclusion.
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Preserving Local Women’s Stories and History: From Collection to PerformanceAn Our Stage / Our Voices Project
Local writer, historian, and UIS alumnus Tara McClellan McAndrew will lead a community-based oral history and performance project documenting the voices of local women over age 65—stories often underrepresented and at risk of being lost. She will interview a diverse group of women and transform their experiences into an original theatrical work to be presented in the UIS Studio Theatre during the 2027–2028 academic year, fostering intergenerational dialogue and community understanding.
As part of Tara’s project, the UIS Performing Arts Center is collaborating with the Sangamon Experience to offer a free public workshop series that introduces oral history methods to interested local residents. The workshop series will be held on Saturday, October 24. Participants can attend one or both workshops offered. More information and registration is here.
This is the first Our Stage / Our Voices project to elevate the female voice. The project is made possible thanks to support from the UIS Visionary Giving Circle.
