Our Name

Change is a-Comin’!

From Silk Road Theatre Project to Silk Road Rising

Yes, indeed, change is a-comin’! Our baby, Silk Road Theatre Project, turns nine this summer, and with age comes new directions and new heights. Transformation is baby’s birthright, and as singer/songwriter Chris Williamson reminds us, it’s all about the Changer and the Changed. So as we strive to keep in step with this rapidly changing world of ours, we sense an upward trend, an ascendant calling, ideas and peoples and artists all on the rise. In developing a new name for our organization, we wish to honor the triumphs of Silk Road Theatre Project while conjuring the movement that has led us to a more expansive vision. The image that has stayed with us throughout this process is that of a spiral along which we move up. It is upward motion that elevates body, mind, and soul. This escalating direction and our history come together in our new name. And so with no further ado, please join us in welcoming…drum roll, please…

Silk Road Rising!

Arts organizations have been known to levitate. For nonprofits, defying gravity is all in a day’s work. Our plan is to officially launch Silk Road Rising this fall. But why, you may wonder, have we chosen the name Silk Road Rising? In keeping the term “Silk Road” we signal to our supporters that we remain faithful to Silk Road artists and committed to nurturing an American theatre movement that presents Asian and Middle Eastern stories. Our devotion to live theatre remains constant, but is now buttressed by an emerging commitment to online theatre. Mining the intersections of art and activism remains central to our aesthetic, as does showcasing perspectives seldom, if ever, heard in mainstream media. The term “Rising” suggests many associations that resonate for our organization and, we hope, for our audiences. Allow us to illuminate:

Silk Road Rising is evolutionary. Silk Road Theatre Project is rising to new levels, new challenges, and new goals. Beyond our own organization, we see the rising up of new arts and aesthetics, including the rise of the Internet as a leading medium for arts engagement. Within our own organization, we see the rise of our online profile, as we tap into social media as a means of creating and connecting. In taking this word as our own, we celebrate the rise of a virtual Silk Road that is artistic, egalitarian, democratic, and visionary.

Silk Road Rising is aspirational. Rising is an active verb, timeless and clear, that evokes a cross-cultural set of associations: the rising of the sun and the moon on the horizon, as well as the rising of hopes, dreams, and imagination. Rising signals our intent to uplift, go forth, and stand up for the Silk Road. We see people rising up against tyranny, racism, and colonialism. In taking this word as our own, we commit to rising up against misrepresentation and false imagery.

Silk Road Rising is metaphorical. The rise of the Silk Road is a metaphor for polyculturalism, cross-cultural exchange, and a world connected through ideas and stories. The Internet is the 21st century’s Silk Road; it facilitates the rise of global citizenship. In taking this word as our own, we embrace this growing global connectedness as a means to explore and understand our interdependence.

Silk Road Rising is representative. We see the rise of Silk Road communities in the United States, of Silk Road nations and peoples, and of global Diasporas. All carry cultural, economic, and political dimensions that call for artistic representation and response. As the rise of new technologies opens up new possibilities for expression, we are seizing this moment to diversify artistic and cultural representation. In taking this word as our own, we create art that reflects our communities while we harness technology to bring it to whole new audiences.

It is a new era for Silk Road Theatre!