Inclusion Statement
Project Sheba is a minority and woman owned non profit organization. At Project Sheba we believe that it is our personal story, our shared humanity that connects us. This diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences is what makes communities both locally and globally, strong and vibrant. Within all of our leadership and programming we seek to work with the most talented. It is experiences from people from all areas of life that stimulate creativity, advanced problem solving and continued growth. Project Sheba strives to build experiences that are inclusive of humanity from all aspects of our global community: creating equity while upholding individual diversity.
PROJECT SHEBA was started in 2002 in Los Angeles California by Miri Hunter,Ph.D. It began its non profit work in 2007. Dr. Hunter did her doctoral work at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Her graduate work focused on pre- monotheistic religions in East Africa and Yemen with a focus on the matri-focal tradition found in the legends of the Queen of Sheba.
Through her research, teaching, writing and performing she connected with her ancient ancestral roots by tapping into streams of genetic memory. Taking the Wisdom stories of the Queen of Sheba as well as studying various other Wisdom traditions throughout the world, she re-searched and developed an oracle/meditation system, aptly named the Queen of Sheba Wisdom Oracle. She moved to the Hi-Desert in the Spring of 2013. The desert gave her time and energy to focus on her main work of developing programming for Project Sheba. Since then she has produced concerts, spoken word events and theatre events.
In 2017 Project Sheba started its own theatre company called Thought Theatre. Its purpose was to promote theatre experiences that led to community discussions regarding local, national and global issues. Its tag line is “entertainment for the mind.” The company received numerous Desert Theatre Nominations in the categories of acting, writing, direction and overall production. Thought Theatre continues to produce cutting edge productions. The second season, in addition to its theatrical productions, Thought Theatre has added programming for writers called Play by Playwrights, in which playwrights get to hear their words performed by seasoned actors before moving on to actual production.
The summer of 2018, was the first year of the Hi-Desert Fringe Festival. Under the auspices of Project Sheba, it was co-founded by Dr. Hunter and two colleagues from the theatre community of the Hi-Desert. The festival brought together performers from the Hi and Lo Desert areas as well as from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Arizona. It was a three day festival featuring performances, guest lectures and workshops. The idea was to create a community theatrical event that presented “theatre on the edge.” The festival was diverse and inclusive. It presented a model of cultural equity in programming and in community involvement. For its third year, the festival went HI-Tech was held completely online, keeping in line with the Shelter In Place directive due to Covid-19.
Project Sheba continues to grow in community involvement, and in addressing the needs of the community locally and globally. To that end it is creating its own institute for in-depth study and learning, The Institute for Cultural and Spiritual Studies (ICSS) core values are centered on the deconstruction and understanding of the terms diversity, equity and inclusiveness. By using the arts, cultural studies and spirituality as tools toward developing self understanding, the individual becomes more self aware. These areas of study are crucial to the development of the individual, leading the individual to becoming self-authored which ultimately leads to a better understanding of self and of others which is the importance and significance of acknowledging diversity, equity and inclusion.
Mission
The Mission of PROJECT SHEBA is to use the arts as a portal to access to personal wisdom for the betterment of the individual, the community and the planet.
Vision
The Vision of PROJECT SHEBA is focused on the integration of body, mind and spirit using embodied learning and embodied knowing in order to facilitate the psychological and spiritual development of the individual. Through its general programming which encompasses theatre education and performance via Thought Theatre and the Hi-DeF Fringe; and Spirituality through the Institute for Cultural and Spiritual Studies; PROJECT SHEBA instills not only a love of learning, but a varied and unique learning experience. It is oriented and structured for individual achievement within the context of group experience. Its innovative program, the Institute of Cultural and Spiritual Studies offers a program that deepens one's awareness of multiculturalism, while creating an environment for the student to delve into the complexity of their own stories. This approach allows the student to understand the lens with which they view the world and offers a safe and encouraging environment where one's personal stories can be explored. This creates empowered and empassioned individuals.
Project Sheba is a minority and woman owned non profit organization.
PROJECT SHEBA is a 501 c 3 non profit corporation. Your donation helps to promote the work. Click below to donate!
Contact us for more information: [email protected]
Contact us for more information: [email protected]
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