THE BIG “US” PROJECT is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

THE BIG “US” PROJECT is generously funded by Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

هل لديك قصة لتحكيها؟ ما الذي قد يتعلمه  منك جميع الأطفال والبالغين في هيوستن؟

مشروع "نحن" الكبير، هو عبارة عن دعوة لجميع الأشخاص من مختلف الأعمار في مجتمعات هيوستن للاجئين والمهاجرين، فهو بمثابة فرصة لمشاركة ثقافتك عن طريق طرح القصص أو الأمثال أو الدروس المهمة خلال تجربتك الحياتية. سيتواجد فنانين من جميع التخصصات لمنحك الدعم والمساعدة اللازمة لإعادة سرد هذه القصص في إطار فني، سواء بالرقص أو الموسيقى، وذلك في ديسمبر 2023. اهتمامنا ينصب بشكل خاص حول التواصل مع الفنانين المرئيين والأدائيين!

ممول مشروع "نحن" الكبير جزئيًا من خلال منحة مقدمة من مدينة هيوستن من خلال هيوستن آرتس ألاينس.

کیا آپ کے پاس لوگوں کو سنانے کے لیے کوئی دلچسپ کہانی ہے؟ ہیوسٹن میں موجود تمام بچے اور بڑے آپ سے کیا سیکھ سکتے ہیں؟

دی بگ "اَس" پروجیکٹ ہیوسٹن کے پناہ گزینوں اور مہاجرین کی کمیونٹیز کے ہر عمر کے لوگوں کو کہانیوں، مثالوں، یا اپنی زندگی کے اہم واقعات کے ذریعے اپنی ثقافت کا اشتراک کرنے کی دعوت دیتا ہے۔ دسمبر ۲۰۲۳ء میں تمام  شعبوں کے ماہرین تھیٹر، رقص، موسیقی اور آرٹ کے ذریعے ان کہانیوں کو دوبارہ سنانےکے لیے آپ کے ساتھ مل کر کام کریں گے۔ ہم آرٹسٹس اور فنکاروں اور اداکاروں کے ساتھ مل کر کام کرنے میں دلچسپی رکھتے ہیں!

دی بیگ "اَس" پروجیکٹ کو جزوی طور پر ہیوسٹن آرٹس الائنس کے ذریعے ہیوسٹن سٹی کی ضمانت سے مالی اعانت فراہم کی

You can also see the individual short films here.

SEE THE FILMS: THE BIG “US” PROJECT 2021

What is "home" to you? Is it a country? A building? A person? A feeling? 

Brave Little Company's THE BIG "US" PROJECT, an initiative begun in 2018, is a collaborative theatre piece led by members of Houston's refugee communities.

Working with artist-mentors in theatre, puppetry, dance, filmmaking, and visual art, more than 50 community members created stories to share with the wider Houston audience. In 2021, with Covid-safer collaboration practices, the pieces were created in smaller groups - sometimes one individual or family at a time. The resulting short films tell stories on the theme of "home," from the diverse perspectives of participants of all ages and experience levels. 

THE BIG "US" PROJECT was funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

You.  Refugees, families, and everyone: This is an opportunity to share your story with all of Houston through performance, art, and music. We are here to listen. All ages, backgrounds, cultures, religions are welcome. Beginners welcome. Master artists welcome.

Rachel H. Dickson is the founding artistic director of Driven Theater Company (DTC) and the Ensemble Theatre's BOLD Artistic Associate. DTC's focus is issue-driven experiences designed to empower, connect and entertain diverse audiences for the purpose of healthy development of all participants. She is able to explore issues more holistically, having secured her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from The University of Illinois and Master of Social Work from University of Houston. Some issues explored by DTC include political views, family dynamics, homelessness, mental illness, self-identity, technology infusion, and intergenerational issues. Rachel also serves the Houston arts community as an actor, director, playwright, dramaturg, educator, producer and artistic consultant.  She has worked with various theatres including The Ensemble Theatre, the Alley Theatre, Main Street Theater, Stages Repertory Theatre, Landing Theatre Company, Interactive Theatre Company and Wordsmyth Theatre.  She has worked with all ages from Kindergarten to adult, from all works of life, in a variety of settings, teaching a wide range of topics from mathematics to theatre. 

Neda Khan is an art educator, student mentor, artist, and graphic designer. Neda has been the visual art teacher for Houston ISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions since 2012 where she designed and created several large-scale murals for the campus. She was selected as the Teacher of the Year and district finalist in 2017. In her previous position as the art teacher at Frank Black Middle School, she was selected as the school’s Teacher of the Month, Houston ISD’s Outstanding Asian Teacher of the Year 2011, as well as Teacher of the Year and district finalist in 2012. She received a Fund For Teachers Fellowship and traveled to Italy and Greece to study classical and contemporary European art and architecture. She has presented workshops in visual art to educators at the local and national level, and has developed curricula for visual art, art history, and arts integration. As a freelance graphic designer, her clients have included international corporations and local businesses. She has also created artwork and illustrations for books. She is fluent in English and Urdu, and holds a B.A. in Fine Arts and Art Education with a minor in Art History from the University of Houston.

Troy Scheid is the founder of Brave Little Company – Theatre for Everyone. Troy’s directorial work includes several regional and world premieres at Main Street Theater, Houston Grand Opera, the Ensemble Theatre, Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company, Classical Theatre Company, and The Landing Theatre Company, among others, and in New York and Chicago. In 2017, she received an award from the Darfurian Association of Greater Houston for collaborating with the refugee community on the Landing Theatre’s production of In Darfur. A theatre educator with over 18 years’ experience, she is a graduate of HSPVA, Rice University, and Rice’s Leadership Institute for Non-Profit Executives. She is an associate member of SDC, the union for professional directors and choreographers in the United States.