We were lucky to catch up with Alric Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alric , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a customer success story with us?

So many proud moments – highlights are audience reactions such as for Lady Day, we had a hearing impaired couple who traveled all the way from Corpus Christi to see our show. And one of the deaf men said that we made him hear music again!! Also Jewel brown, a former singer for duke ellington and a friend of Billie Holliday coming to see our show and performing a live impromptu set afterwards. And my little cousin Andre after seeing the mountaintop said he would make better grades in math after seeing the sacrifices MLK made each day. And networking has gotten easier. After ten years, people know who I am. And my work stands for itself. Our actors and designers and including me have gone on to do great things. That’s how art can have real tangible change.

Alric , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 2013 I founded The Sankofa Collective, with the purpose to expose, educate and enrich at-risk youth to theatre. I joined forces with my best friends so that it could be a creative outlet to those who would not be exposed to it otherwise and to inspire theatrical creation in the future. I know firsthand how the arts can redirect a young impressionable mind, promote a positive outlook and ultimately save lives. Beginning at 17 years old, I was our head fundraiser, logistics coordinator, lead producer, director, sometimes bartender and line cook, car washer, financial adviser, costumer, choreographer, you name it- with only on the job training and no real precedent. Those unique experiences made me very resilient through tried-and-true tenacity and the power of collaboration and community. I see my youth, cultural background and grassroots determination as a strength and an opportunity – I represent the next generation of audience members and theatre makers that will come to see themselves represented. Not just onstage, but also as decision makers and game changers. I represent the modern, regular, schmegular millennial with a massive passion for art but skimpy pockets.

So many proud moments – highlights are audience reactions such as for Lady Day, we had a hearing-impaired couple who traveled all the way from Corpus Christi to see our show. And one of the deaf men said that we made him hear music again!! Also Jewel Brown, a former singer for Duke Ellington and a friend of Billie Holliday herself coming to see our show and performing a live impromptu set afterwards. And my little cousin Andre after seeing the mountaintop said he would make better grades in math after seeing the sacrifices MLK made each day. And networking has gotten easier. After ten years, people know who I am. And my work stands for itself. Our actors and designers and including me have gone on to do great things. That’s how art can have real tangible change.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is not allowing myself to dream. For so long, many Black artists have been given very little when so much is demanded. Our culture is one birthed out of resilience-out of not having, we created. Now that I’m blessed to see advancement and progress on the resources provided, unlearning the doubts to dream is a very hard task. Allowing myself to think about the wildest thing I’d want to do or see or be apart of seems scary.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Even though I am honestly an introvert, I see myself as someone who was born to be an artist. I realize that no matter how great your art is, if no one knows it exists, it will not have the intended effect. So I work hard at networking with artists, connecting with funders and audiences to show them how passionate I am about my work, how committed and selfless I will be to foster its growth. Putting good out, even when you don’t feel like it, means that you’ll always get good back.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.sankofacollectivehouston.com
• Instagram: @Sankofacollective
• Facebook: The Bayou Theatre Company

Image Credits
Credit: Pin Lim’s Forest Photography The Bayou Theatre Company