Mission
We believe the arts and storytelling play a crucial role in the liberation of oneself and the community. Our work is personal. We pull from our experience living in the US as Puerto Ricans and people of color. We tell stories that we are trying to heal from, inform about, insight change to, and build connections for.
We thoughtfully engage in original works in theater, poetry, music, video and film. Past work has covered colonialism, poverty, immigration, and systemic racism. We also believe that joy is a revolutionary act for folks of color. And as such, we actively seek to uplift our audiences through our art.
We create artistic Experiences that:
Heal and hold space for humanity through joy, laughter, and curiosity.
Decolonizes our history and narratives through truth & integrity.
Celebrates our growth through opportunity, community, and education.
Challenges the status quo, capitalistic structures, white supremacy, patriarchal systems thinking, and colonialism.
Enthusiastically and courageously invest in the magic of connection and collaboration.
Disrupt systems of oppression and move us toward justice, pride, and unconditional love.
Origin Story
Liberation Arts Collective was born the day Arlene and Eric created a theater piece protesting PROMESA or the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. This 2016 US congressional bill imposes austerity measures on the people of Puerto Rico while benefiting the Wall Street "vulture hedge funds" that exploited the island's economy. These austerity measures directly affected our loved ones, so we took to the steps of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street to denounce the bill, which further threatened the nation's democracy, economy, and people.
We didn't wait, we didn't hesitate; we just took action and used our artistic ability to protest. But we thought, "Wait, what do we call ourselves?!" We needed a name. Inspired by the liberation from economic injustice we were demanding through our artistic performance, we decided on Liberation Arts Collective. From this action, we began to examine and create pieces we care about, like Puerto Rican liberation, the Latinidad diaspora, the effects of systemic oppression, and how we can interweave healing & love.
The event was documented by teleSUR. Ñ Don't Stop: Promesa Bill (youtube.com)
Founders
Photo by Dar Es Salaam Riser
ARLENE CHICO-LUGO
Arlene is an award-winning film and theater producer, an award nominated actress, an interpersonal communications specialist and an educator using theater and storytelling to create bridges of understanding for the human experience. She is the co-founder of Liberations Arts Collective working in partnership with her husband, Eric. Arlene believes in the power of stories to transform the world and has dedicated herself to bringing life to stories yet told. “We must lift up others if we ourselves wish to be lifted.”
Some notable film roles include ("What It Was,” Amazon), Television (Gotham, The Blacklist), and acclaimed theater productions, including "Native Gardens" at Arizona Theatre Company (earning her a MAC Award nomination for Best Actress, Comedy), and "Evensong," (Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role nomination at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards). As the co-founder of Liberation Arts Collective, she produced the award-winning "Where You From? What You Be About?" and served as a producer on "Missguidance," a short film addressing the consequences of U.S. immigration policies. Arlene extends her impact beyond the entertainment industry by creating original devised plays with both youth and adults in schools and community centers.
She is currently working as an Education Case Manager at LaGuardia Community College.
Photo by Dar Es Salaam Riser
ERIC AVILÉS
Eric has over twenty years as multi-disciplinary artist using theatre, poetry, and film to address issues of race, class, and the assaults of systemic oppression on black and brown bodies. His art is culturally specific and provocative. He uses agit-prop, satire, and inspirations from oral histories. Eric has been on a long journey sharing stories from the urban lived experience in America. His plays are autobiographical in nature exploring the Puerto Rican diaspora experience, the poor/working class experience, and exploring stories of transformation from trauma towards liberation.
Aviles has also directed and written several short independent films for the self-produced project, Video Mixtape Vol. 1: Art of The Possible, and the Mix Vol. 2: Live at the Batey, with his organization, Liberation Arts Collective at Hostos Center for Arts & Culture.
Aviles is a recipient of the 2018 New York Innovative Theater Award for "Outstanding Original Full-Length Script" and was a nominee for "Outstanding Solo Performance" for his solo play, “Where You From? What You Be About?”
As a veteran actor, he has performed nationally at numerous theaters, including El Teatro Campesino, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Teatro Vista, Borderlands, INTAR, and many more. He has also written a spoken-word performance, “In the Beginning”, in which he performed with multiple Grammy nominees, John Santos.
Eric has over twenty years teaching playwriting and directing original devised plays with non-artists from poor/working class communities of color. He’s created art with elementary age children to seniors in schools, community centers, and prisons. These plays are collaborative, autobiographical, and centered on themes of healing, identity, family, and community.
Eric is a RYT 200 Yoga Instructor (registered with the Yoga Alliance) using meditation, yoga, and culturally based rituals to create art. Currently, Eric is a Creative Rebuild New York Grantee.