Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica
**Citizen Artist Reading Group with **Jessica Hanna**** **Sunday, August 16th | 10 AM - 12 PM** **Virtual - **Meeting Link**** **Free + Open to the Public** *High Performance* magazine, and later *The Citizen Artist* anthology, documented and amplified the voices of artists working outside traditional institutions, embedding their practice in the fabric of civic life. By revisiting these groundbreaking publications, we aim to spark dialogue, collective memory, and action—drawing from a powerful lineage of artist-led civic engagement and radical experimentation. The *Citizen Artist Reading Group* is a year-long inquiry into the intersections of art, politics, performance, and community. Meeting monthly from January–December 2026, the group will engage foundational and experimental texts that have shaped the fields of social practice, community-based performance, and art/life. Together, participants will explore themes ranging from feminist lineages and environmental interventions to activism, justice, and collective transformation. All sessions are virtual and public. Special guests will be invited to each session. **Session 8 – August 16, 2026** Readings: Appalachia’s Roadside Theater: Celebration of a Community’s Culture – Donna Porterfield (p. 201) [The Cutting Edge is Enormous: Liz Lerman and Richard Owen Geer – Linda Frye Burnham ](https://wayback.archive-it.org/2077/20100906201020/http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2002/09/cutting_edge_is.php)(p. 207) Between Me and the Giant: Imagination Workshop – William Cleveland (p. 213) Guests: Jessica Hanna Jessica Hanna Co-Founded Bootleg Theater, serving as Producing & Managing Director for 12 years. During her tenure at Bootleg she oversaw all theatrical productions and worked with hundreds of Los Angeles artists, including new solo performances by Roger Guenveur Smith including his tour de force, RODNEY KING, a version of which can be seen on Netflix directed by Spike Lee. She helped create and execute the Hope On Stage playwriting prize in collaboration with Cornell and Notre Dame Universities, which included a cash prize for the winning play as well as two fully funded productions at The Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY and at Bootleg Theater. She created the Solo Queens Festival that has featured 15 women solo performers in 2 years. Hanna is a member of The Kilroys, an activist artists group working for gender parity in the American Theatre. She began training with The SITI Co. in 2002 and performed with the company in 2010 & 2013 at The Getty Villa. As of 2020, she is currently the Chair of The SITI Co.’s Board. She was an Artist in Residence at Thymele Arts in 2019.