Community Sustaining Contributions are voluntary contributions that help support the mission of The Empowered Performer Project (EPP). These contributions directly offset the cost of offering discounted coaching sessions and programming for artists experiencing financial hardship.

Rather than functioning as traditional donations, these contributions are an act of collective investment—in artists, in nervous-system-informed training, and in a healthier, more sustainable performing arts ecosystem.

No. Community Sustaining Contributions are not tax-deductible.

EPP is not a registered nonprofit, and these contributions should be understood as community support, not charitable donations. Transparency and integrity are core values of this project, and we want contributors to have clear expectations.

Your contribution helps to:

• Reduce financial barriers to coaching for artists in need

• Sustain sliding-scale and discounted session availability

• Support long-term access to trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware training

• Protect the sustainability of EPP without compromising care, boundaries, or quality

In short: your contribution helps ensure that artistic excellence is not reserved only for those with financial privilege.

EPP is committed to both access and sustainability.

Offering all sessions at reduced rates would ultimately compromise the depth, consistency, and longevity of the work. Community Sustaining Contributions allow us to:

• Maintain professional standards

• Avoid burnout and extractive labor models

• Offer support where it is most needed, without diminishing the work itself

This model reflects the belief that healthy artists require healthy systems.

Artists who are:

• In transitional or financially unstable periods

• Early-career or under-resourced

• Navigating personal or systemic barriers to access

Eligibility is handled with discretion, care, and respect for privacy. There is no public labeling or hierarchy—only mutual trust.

No. Community Sustaining Contributions are entirely optional.

They are an opportunity for those with greater financial capacity to help hold the bridge open for others—today, or in the future. Many contributors are also artists who know that access fluctuates over a career and believe in reciprocity over time.

The Empowered Performer Project exists to support artists who are resilient, embodied, and capable of telling complex stories without harm to themselves.

This work challenges an industry that often glorifies suffering, overwork, and self-abandonment. Community Sustaining Contributions help us model a different way forward—one where:

• Care and rigor coexist

• Artistry is supported, not extracted

• The nervous system is treated as an instrument, not collateral

This is not about charity.
It is about collective responsibility for the culture we are creating.

You can make a Community Sustaining Contribution at checkout, through a dedicated contribution option, or by reaching out directly if you’d like to discuss ongoing support.

Every contribution—regardless of size—helps sustain a field where artists can train, work, and grow without sacrificing their health or humanity.

Yes. I currently serve as the Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Resilient Theatre Project (RTP).

The Advisory Committee is composed of therapists, coaches, directors, and producers working across theatre, film, and television. The role of this committee is to advise the RTP Board of Directors on how the nonprofit can function most effectively in service of the field. This includes offering insight on artist well-being, ethical practices, community care, and creative, sustainable approaches to fundraising initiatives and events.

While The Empowered Performer Project and the Resilient Theatre Project are distinct entities with different structures and scopes, they share aligned values around artist resilience, systemic health, and cultural sustainability. My involvement with RTP reflects a commitment to contributing both at the individual artist level and at the broader industry level, where long-term change is shaped.

Transparency and integrity are central to this work, and I believe that meaningful cultural shifts happen when individual practice and collective responsibility are in conversation with one another.

Yes — of course! We deeply value the work of the Resilient Theatre Project (RTP) and wholeheartedly encourage support of their mission.

The Resilient Theatre Project is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a healthy, equitable, and sustainable theatre and performing arts ecosystem. Their efforts include:

• Advocacy for systemic change within the theatre industry

• Research and resource development that centers artist well-being and resilience

• Community building and education around sustainable creative practices

• Amplifying voices that have historically been marginalized within the performing arts

While The Empowered Performer Project focuses on individual artistic and nervous-system-informed support, the Resilient Theatre Project works at the industry and community level — shaping structures, narratives, and resources that make healthy artistic careers possible for all.

If you’re moved by this work and interested in contributing to systemic resilience in the theatre field, you can learn more and donate directly at:

👉 https://www.resilienttheatreproject.org/

Supporting RTP is a powerful way to help shift the culture of our industry toward sustainability, equity, and care — values we share and celebrate.