Our Library
We’re using this space to honor the giants on whose shoulders we stand. Be they expert gatherers, master theatre-makers, or something in between, these artists, thinkers, conveners, and creators have fundamentally exploded our understanding of what makes good gathering. Their work fills our brains and our bookshelves. We’re so happy to be able to share their work with you here.
What’s on your shelf? We’d love to hear from and learn from you. If there’s someone we should have on our radar, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know!
Our Foundational Text
BY PRIYA PARKER
Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering is our bible, a core foundational text that informs and strengthens our practice as JETco. and as ourselves. In exploring her “human-centered approach to gathering,” Parker walks readers through the myriad considerations necessary for creating gatherings that have purpose and, through purpose, power. In particular, we’re excited and challenged by the potential applications of the lessons of this book to theatre-making and performance-sharing. In fact, a core focus of our work at JETco. is throwing concepts from Parker’s gathering structures (host, invitation, purpose) and theatrical tools into an artistic crucible and forging new gatherings from the raw material. Also, truly a fun read, y’all. Parker’s prose is thought-provoking, electric, and worth returning to again and again.
Artists & Creators We Admire
600 Highwaymen teaches us about gathering with care, celebrating the body, and building community through shared vulnerability.
Aleshea Harris teaches us about gathering with intention, celebrating Black voices, and building community through shared purpose.
The Dance Cartel teaches us about gathering with joy, celebrating radical inclusivity, and building community through shared movement.
For You, teaches us about gathering with specificity, celebrating individuality, and building community through shared intimacy.
Nichole Canuso Dance Company teaches us about gathering with courage, celebrating unexpected connections, and building community through shared wonder.
Peoplmovr teaches us about gathering with clarity, celebrating collaboration, and building community through shared growth.
Sonya Renee Taylor teaches us about gathering without apology, celebrating our bodies, and building community through shared healing.
Taylor Mac teaches us about gathering with irreverence, celebrating queer joy, and building community through shared exuberance.
Writing We Return To
The Forgotten Art of Assembly
BY NICHOLAS BERGER
As we envision new old ways of being together, Nicholas Berger reminds us that some gatherings simply cannot be translated online. Berger writes astutely about the “defining quality of our field” – theater – “its liveness.” We think his words invite personal reflection on what is essential: an internal paring down of our schedules until we’re only spending time on activities that feel emotionally or spiritually fulfilling. In any case, we come back to this article time and again, and we encourage you to dive in as well.
Art Spaces Can Bridge Social Divides—But First You Need to Know Your Neighbor
BY DANIELLE JACKSON
Danielle Jackson co-founded the Bronx Documentary Center, a space that has taught her a LOT about gathering well and with an eye towards celebrating and creating community. Jackson lays out principles for fostering inclusive, insightful gatherings and gathering spaces centered around art and art-making. We love Jackson’s tenet that artists and community-builders should be “amplifying new authorities” – in other words, recognizing that lived experience is as valuable to constructive discourse as is learned knowledge. We’re excited to unpack how JETco. gatherings can become platforms for this kind of amplification.
![“Self-care isn't enough. We need community care to thrive.BY HEATHER DOCKRAYThis mesmerizing article by Heather Dockray unpacks and preaches the gospel of community care, defined herein by a quote from organizer Nakita Valerio as “[people] committed…](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e9f0bd09a49e1055fc631c7/1602466500416-MUU65L3W1R6LO30F25BG/uploads%252Fcard%252Fimage%252F990876%252F810165d8-73e5-4bf5-8f41-d2f1b676bd0a.jpg%252F950x534__filters%253Aquality%252880%2529.jpg)
Self-care isn't enough. We need community care to thrive.
BY HEATHER DOCKRAY
This mesmerizing article by Heather Dockray unpacks and preaches the gospel of community care, defined herein by a quote from organizer Nakita Valerio as “[people] committed to leveraging their privilege to be there for one another in various ways.” We found so many strands worth exploring in this article: community care as an actionable pathway to dismantling capitalism; community care as a “stepping stone to justice”; community care in conversation with close friendship and the chosen family. We believe that extraordinary gathering can be a rich, robust tool for advancing community care.
To learn a bit more about the what and why of JETco.:
To read more about our values & vision for ourselves and for the world around us:
To find out more about our commitments to anti-racism, feminism, queer liberation, and disability justice: