Grow Grant Application & Information

Project Growth

Scale of 1 – 5

Presenting this work in the Festival represents a meaningful step in the lifespan of this project. The project is either brand new, or has undergone significant development or changes since its last presentation. The project will benefit from access to an audience at this point in its development.

Newness/Originality

Scale of 1-5

The proposed project is innovative and possesses a unique voice, whether in content, form, or both.

Ki Ridenour-Starnes

GROW Panel Chair

(they/fae/she/+) is a multi-disciplinary indigenous (ᏣᎳᎩ + Chicane) artist, an embodied emergence based theater-maker, and a knowledge sharer. Their work focuses on the welfare of community; working from the idea that artistic expressions are inherent to our collective existence, survival, and future. They love to explore immersive, audience driven pieces that work on sparking direct action to empower communities and the alchemization of their healing and growth.

In 2021, they graduated with an MFA in Directing from the University of Portland and was a member of the 2020/21 Cohort for the Institute for Contemporary Performance. They’ve worked in Portland on pieces including The Flame, And So We Walked, 1984, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, El Público, Wolves Eat Elk, Clown as Protest: Build a Bougie, Shroom Show: A Foraging Tour, and more! When not working they are likely hanging out with their baby, hiking with their pup, cooking up a video game themed dish, clowning around with their troupe, or wandering through rabbit holes of knowledge.

James R. Dixon

is a multi-talented artist, director (SDC) and producer based in Portland, Oregon. James brings a wealth of experience to his craft. Previously, James served on the Board of Directors for the Portland Area Theatre Alliance (PATA) and the Accountability Collective. He has also contributed his expertise to the Arts Oversight Commission, the RACC grants panel, and the Fertile Ground GROW Panel, among others. James is committed to promoting equity and inclusivity in the arts.
One of James’ notable roles is as the Producing Artistic Director for the BlaQ OUT Festival in partnership with Fuse Theatre Ensemble. This festival serves as a platform for works created at the intersection of the Black and Queer communities. Through his artistic endeavors, James strives to amplify the voices of marginalized groups and shed light on the beauty of the human condition.

As a social justice-focused arts administrator and artist, James is dedicated to advocating for the voices of the unheard. He believes that by creating opportunities for underrepresented communities, we can foster collective healing and empower individuals to express themselves creatively. James recognizes the need to challenge traditional practices and continually evaluate ourselves as professionals and organizations.

In an ever-evolving landscape, James is passionate about sustainability and finding accessible means of long-term support for the arts. He aims to plant the seeds of structural change within the industry, while also shifting perspectives within our social paradigm. By forging new pathways for healing and creativity, James envisions a future where communities can thrive and individuals can find their voices.

Michael Cavazos

 is a Queer Chicanx theatre maker and the Artistic Director of Hand2Mouth in Portland, OR. Before moving to Portland, they were a member of the comedy troupe Gender Offenders and performed on many NYC stages. In Portland, Michael has worked with Imago, Milagro, Crave, Profile, Portland Playhouse, Portland Revels, and Portland Center Stage. As a teaching artist, they have had the opportunity to teach theatre in Cairo, Egypt, Belgrade, Serbia and Santo Domingo and Santiago Dominican Republic. Michael is one of five Oregon performing artists to receive the 2021 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship for artists of outstanding talent, demonstrated ability and commitment to the creation of new work. This Spring they will be directing Hand2Mouth’s new devised work, BANNED, which will focus on the US epidemic of banning books and two Oregon incidents in 2023.

Yasmin Ruvalcaba

is a Portland-based arts admin, director, writer, and consultant. She centers her work around advancing equity, honoring mentorship and education, and promoting community outreach and engagement. Yasmin is currently the Executive Director at Tualatin Valley Creates. Previously, Yasmin worked with Centro Cultural as the Arts & Culture Manager and Advance Gender Equity in the Arts (AGE) as the Grants Program Director, and has worked with numerous theatres and nonprofits as an artist and contractor, including but not limited to, Artists Repertory Theatre, Bag&Baggage, Hand2Mouth, Northwest Theatre Workshop, Portland Revels, Theatre Diaspora, and Washington County Kids.

Sarah Andrews

is a Portland-based director, the Co- Founder of Crave Theatre Company, and professor at Portland Community College in the Multimedia Department. She holds a BFA in Acting from Central Washington University and is well on her way to earning a Masters in Arts and Culture Leadership and Management from Colorado State. Sarah’s artistic work has been featured by many local theatre companies including Tears of Joy, Staged!, Post 5 Theatre, Milagro, Lakewood, Oregon Children’sTheatre, defunkt theatre, Profile, and ART. She also works in community-based performance projects such as Ellensburg, Washington’s Buskers In The Burg and Seattle’s Summer Solstice.

Heath Hyun Houghton

is a Korean American writer, actor and director. To support and develop organizations that endeavor towards creating environmentally and socially responsible products and services. Heath hopes to work as an advocate for fair trade, for the freedom of information, for our rights as citizens and consumers to have transparency and equality in our business practices. Member playwright of Line Storm Playwrights, Ensemble Member of Fuse Theatre, Ensemble Member of Theatre Vertigo, Member of the Dramatists Guild, Member of USA Gymnastics.

Jane Comer

a part of the Portland theatre scene since the 1980’s, is sometimes called a trans pioneer of theatre. Jane has decades of experience making theatre both from before and after transition. An actor, writer and director, her work recently has focused on solo performance. Her latest work, The Fear of Speaking , was workshopped at the 2020 Fertile Ground Festival, and was featured as the mainstage production of the 2020 Outwright Theatre Festival. Jane currently serves on the board of Fuse Theatre Ensemble.

Tess Raunig

(they/them/theirs) is a Portland based actor, musician, writer, and teaching artist. They live with multiple disabilities, and they identify as a queer, non-binary trans person. They are originally from Missoula Montana, and earned their Bachelors degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Montana. Tess teaches voice, songwriting and choir at PHAME Academy, an arts school for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As an actor, they have worked with companies such as Artists Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, and Couch Film Collective . An accomplished musician, they are in a theatrical folk pop band called Sasha and The Children, and Acchord, an a’capella group comprised of trans and non-binary folks. When they aren’t performing or teaching, Tess enjoys drinking tea, and hanging out with their cat child, Sasha. And yes, the band is named after Sasha kitty.

Ashley Song

is an actor, producer, and writer in Portland, Oregon. She co-founded Desert Island Studios, an independent film studio dedicated to providing more accessible film resources for independent storytellers. Regional: Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really; Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B; It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play; Rent; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime; Summerfield Estates; Redwood (Portland Center Stage). Film: Song of Summer, Doppelbanger, Private Chat. Ashley has a B.F.A. from NYU and training in The Method at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. IG: @ashleysongofficial @desertislandstudiospdx