We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful ShaVonne Davis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with ShaVonne below.

ShaVonne, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I am a former classroom Theatre Teacher who turned my passion for the arts into a purpose to provide free theatre arts programs for youth through my family’s non-profit organization Maroon 9 Community Enrichment Organization (Maroon 9). At the top of the pandemic I began to host free virtual youth programs in the areas of theatre arts, life skills, and college/career readiness. I started out receiving no compensation as I began to build the organization. In the summer of 2020, we received our first grant in the amount of $3,000 to support our inaugural virtual summer enrichment program. Throughout that year we contracted with our local school district to provide virtual afterschool programming which began to grow our revenue. In the summer of 2021 we received a $10,000 grant from Facebook Meta to support our 2nd annual summer program. From 2020 to now, as the Executive Director of Maroon 9 I have brought in almost $200,000 in grants and have provided over 40+ programs for free to thousands of youth in Fort Worth, TX. In 2022 I began to receive a small compensation in my role as Executive Director. In 2023 I received part-time compensation and was able to pay a seasonal Virtual Assistant for support. In 2024, I am now receiving a full-time salary and have part-time/seasonal staff that support our year-round free enrichment programs.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Theatre Arts Educator & Director from Fort Worth, TX. I believe in the power of teaching youth creative expression opposed to juvenile crime and violence. I am a proud graduate of the HBCU Clark Atlanta University with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts. Through my family’s nonprofit organization, Maroon 9 Community Enrichment Organization we transform lives and develop youth through Theatre Arts. We just hosted a free 12-week musical theatre program that trained 25 youth in the areas of acting, singing, and dancing. The program culminated into the play “Bone Soup: A Kwanzaa Story” written by Jessica Hebron. The production took place at the Jubilee Theatre, the longest standing African-American theatre in North Texas and was performed for four sold-out shows. By offering programs for free to underserved youth we are ensuring equity and access to quality out-of-school time enrichment that provides a creative outlet and helps youth prepare for life after high school. Outside of arts enrichment we provide college tours, career exploration, and life skills workshops.
One of my most proud moments is the $10,000 grant and recognition that I received from Beyonce’ and the NAACP for my theatre programs. I truly feel that if Beyonce and her team saw the value in my community work through the arts, then I must be doing something right. I endeavor to continue to share my love for theatre arts to youth and provide platforms for them to share their voice and talents with the community.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to have fun and educate youth everyday through Theatre Arts. Another rewarding aspect is using my writing skills to apply for grants to be able to provide our programs for free to the community. In almost five years we have not charged families at all for enrolling their youth in our summer arts programs, out-of-town college tours, educational field trips to see live productions, or professional training and development. I truly enjoy what I do everyday and this is success to me. Waking up and doing what I love every day. Success also lies in the transformation of our participants. Seeing participants receive outside exposure and opportunities, and strive to attend performing arts schools, or sharing their career ideas and allowing us to support those dreams even if they are not arts related. My biggest rewards lie within the success and achievements of my program participants.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

A quote of mine says, “We should nurture creativity just as much as academics and sports.” Creativity goes hand in hand with academics. There are youth who are more creatively inclined and need outlets to express that talent. Teaching creative expression promotes good mental health and deters youth from crime and violence. The biggest misconception about Theatre Arts classes is that it is just acting. I use theatre arts to teach youth various life skills such as culture, conflict resolution, self-confidence, empathy, and public speaking. They in turn use their talents to educate the community on various social topics and important issues through the arts.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.linktr.ee/maroon9
• Instagram: @maroon9communityenrichment
• Facebook: @maroon9communityenrichment
• Linkedin: @actingwithmrsdavis
• Youtube: @maroon9

Image Credits
Made By Breaux and Meraki Creativez