A new Arts & Science Council grant is helping The Lotus Project create new pathways into community theater for transgender and gender-diverse Charlotteans through a series of free arts workshops this summer.
Through partnerships with Charlotte Trans Health, Time Out Youth and Gender Education Network, the Charlotte nonprofit is offering free workshops designed to help participants explore theater in an affirming environment before inviting them to join its November production of ‘Shrek the Musical.’
Founded in 2023 by Susan Cherin and Kayla Piscatelli, The Lotus Project uses theater, visual arts and other creative programs to empower individuals, build community and celebrate marginalized voices. The organization was created after the couple left a previous arts organization where they had spent a decade developing community arts programming together.
“We took the idea of the lotus flower, which really only can grow and bloom from the mud,” Cherin said. “From life’s hardest challenges, we can grow and turn into our own beautiful, authentic selves.”
The grant builds on that mission by helping more transgender and gender-diverse people explore community theater in an environment designed to be welcoming and accessible.
Rather than partnering with a single organization, The Lotus Project collaborated with Charlotte Trans Health, Time Out Youth and Gender Education Network to reach community members across multiple stages of life, from children younger than 12 to adults. Cherin said bringing together different generations was an intentional part of the initiative.
“It was important to us to have a broad spectrum of ages,” Cherin said. “It’s an incredible experience for trans and nonbinary people to see other folks of different ages who they share that very broad identity with.”
Each 90-minute workshop combines identity-focused visual art activities, collaborative theater games and an introduction to musical theater rehearsals. Designed for beginners, participants are encouraged to engage at their own comfort level, with no pressure to perform.
“We just want to say, ‘This is who we are. This is the kind of space that we aim to create,'” Cherin said. “You are not only welcome, but celebrated, whoever you are.”
The workshops also introduce participants to The Lotus Project’s approach to community theater. The organization uses placement auditions rather than competitive casting, rehearses primarily one day each week and works to reduce financial and logistical barriers that can make participating difficult for some people.
Grant funding will cover participation fees for cast members younger than 18 and provide transportation assistance for participants who need help getting to rehearsals, a barrier Cherin said many teens and young adults face.
Cherin said creating an affirming environment was one of the project’s primary goals.
“We want to create a space where a parent, an adult or anyone in between just knows that we’ve got you.”
The initiative will conclude with a special LGBTQ+ community performance of ‘Shrek the Musical’ on Nov. 19 featuring subsidized tickets, a post-show discussion with local LGBTQ+ organizations and sensory-friendly elements, including reduced sound levels, a quiet room, fidget tools and noise-canceling headphones.
For Cherin, however, the project’s success extends beyond the stage.
“My biggest hope is just that people of every age can find a little joy in those 90 minutes,” she said. “We all need to find joy any way we can right now.”
The Lotus Project will offer workshops this summer through Charlotte Trans Health, Time Out Youth and Gender Education Network. More information about the organization and its upcoming productions is available at https://www.thelotusprojectnc.com/.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
