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Updated 9/12/2024

Castle of our Skins

  • M

    MA

Institution/Business Type: Performing Group

Born out of the desire to foster cultural curiosity, Castle of our Skins is a concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music. From classrooms to concert halls, Castle of our Skins (COOS) invites exploration into Black heritage and culture, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present. Castle of our Skins is deeply aware of the lack of equity in composer representation on concert stages and the omission of important stories and figures in Black history. It is this lack of equity that the group seeks to change. Through carefully designed educational workshops and creative concert programs, COOS aims to highlight the achievements of Black artists and historical figures. The collective’s intergenerational and interdisciplinary concerts range in themes from Black love, African American quilting, and Black Feminism to freedom, civil rights, visual arts, and Black excellence. Through workshops, residencies, masterclasses, lectures, panel discussions, and educational concert programs, COOS works to illustrate the breadth and depth of Black culture. The name Castle of our Skins comes from the celebrated poet Nikki Giovanni’s poem for nina. The poem beautifully captures the sense of adoration and celebration for the very fabric that makes us who we are: our skin.

Find Me

Ashleigh Gordon (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Artistic Director
Phone: 4436301638
Address:
20 Eustis Street
Boston, MA 02119

Social Media:

About

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Performing Group

Legal Status:

Nonprofit - Independent

Year Founded:

2014

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Performing Group

Legal Status:

Nonprofit - Independent

Year Founded:

2014

Disciplines

Primary Discipline:

Music - Chamber

Additional Disciplines:

  • Music - Traditional

Activities and Services

Activities and Services:

  • Arts for Social Change / Creative Activism
  • Creation of a Work of Art (Including Commissions)
  • Performance / Concert / Reading
  • Residency - In School
  • Workshops / Demonstrations / Master Class
Seasons Active: spring, summer, fall, winter
Events Per Year: 19

Communities

Populations Engaged:

  • Adults
  • Elders
  • Families
  • General Public
  • School Groups
  • Teens

Geographic Reach:

  • Town / City
  • State
  • National
  • International

Media Gallery

I Have Worked With

Affiliations and Accomplishments

Awards

Awards:

  • Boston Cultural Council grant recipient
  • Massachusetts Cultural Council grant recipient
  • Center for Black Music Research Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Travel to the Collection grant recipient
  • Creative City Grantee/Alum Network
  • The Boston Foundation Grant recipient
  • National Endowment for the Arts Grant recipient

Awards

Awards:

  • Boston Cultural Council grant recipient
  • Massachusetts Cultural Council grant recipient
  • Center for Black Music Research Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Travel to the Collection grant recipient
  • Creative City Grantee/Alum Network
  • The Boston Foundation Grant recipient
  • National Endowment for the Arts Grant recipient

Special Designations

Special Designations:

  • NEFA Grant Recipient

Designated Arts Community:

  • Massachusetts Cultural District Member - Roxbury Cultural District

Artist Info

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Afterschool Program
  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Community Site / Center
  • School / University

Ages Served:

  • Elementary School-age
  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - History and Social Science
  • Music
  • Literature

Fee range:

$1,000 - $10,000

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Afterschool Program
  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Community Site / Center
  • School / University

Ages Served:

  • Elementary School-age
  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - History and Social Science
  • Music
  • Literature

Fee range:

$1,000 - $10,000

Touring Artist

NEST Eligible Artist

Technical Requirements:

  • N/A

Fee Range:

$1,000 - $25,000

State of Residence:

Massachusetts

Minimum Number of Performers:

2

Maximum Number of Performers:

10