A Global Project Exploring Water and the Work of People Who Steward It, Directed by Artistic Director Allison Orr
Forklift Danceworks’ The Way of Water, is a global arts-based project bringing together communities, civic organizations and advocacy groups to address climate-based water issues.
Forklift Danceworks, along with a team of artists from each participating city, will embed within local communities, including frontline workers and others with lived experience of drought, floods, or rising sea level. Together, artists and community members will co-create theatrical productions, telling the story of water through the voices of those most impacted by climate change. The Way of Water will deepen understanding of climate-based water issues and possible solutions, translating the science into understandable stories and using the magic of live performance as a catalyst for change. The Way of Water will create a space for each participating city to imagine a future where innovative solutions for climate-based water issues are enacted.
4 cities in initial 6 years, engaging:
• 50+ Artists and Scientists
• 100+ Frontline Workers and Government Employees
• 200+ Youth and Community Members
• 10,000+ Audience Members
Initial Sites:
• Austin, TX (2022 – 2027)
• Miami, FL (2023 – 2025)
• El Paso, TX (2024 – 2025)
• Venice, Italy (2023 – 2026)
Funders and supporters for The Way of Water include:
Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation
Bloomberg Philanthropies
The Lowell Lebermann Foundation
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
The New England Foundation for the Arts
Mid-America Arts Alliance
The Texas Commission on the Arts
The City of Austin, Cultural Arts Program
Cap Metro
H-E-B
IBC Bank
Fusebox Festival
Waterloo Greenway
