"The Herstories Project" This Project provides a laboratory for conducting direct research and analysis into the ancestral, familial, and cultural stories that reveal our origins. Centuries of imperialism, racism, classism, sexism and heterosexism have either kept us down or lifted us up on the backs of others and divided our communities. We confront these issues directly and examine how we have internalized legacies of oppression and privilege. By understanding each other's stories, and the complexity of the choices our ancestors made, we strive to heal these divides and build authentic alliances of understanding and solidarity.We, the inhabitants of this present moment in history, are products of the actions and experiences of our ancestors. To constructively confront the dangers that we face now, from militarism to climate change, we need to expand our notion of self as part of an interdependent web of life. We need to know how we got here. We look to lessons from our ancestors to guide us in our actions toward creating a world based on peace, justice and sustainability. In our work, we also question and challenge the legacies that we are leaving, as ancestors to future generations.Women's voices, stories, and wisdom have been largely silenced and devalued in our culture. The Herstories Project retrieves the wisdom in women's stories that is absent from mainstream, male-centered, war-dominated historical narratives. Through the use of storytelling, theater and collaborative ritual, we explore themes that defy cultural boundaries to invoke an alternative vision of a society that values truth-telling, creativity and diversity. Our goal is for participants to acquire the tools and confidence to become role models and cultural leaders in their communities. Our performances serve as a powerful example to our audiences of how we can work together across lines of diversity to resolve the problems that we confront as a society.*** ***Aryeh Shell is the founder of the Herstories Project and has taught and performed community-based theater locally and internationally with Art and Revolution, the Living Arts Playback Theatre Company and ArtCorps. She currently works with an immigrant rights organization, SOMOS MAYFAIR, facilitating popular education, theater and community organizing. She holds an MA in Education: Equity and Social Justice from SFSU.*** ***Jovelyn Richards is a writer, comedian, director and performance artist. Jovelyn has written and performed the following one-woman shows: "Pussy Will Sell a Lot Longer than Cotton Will Anyday" and "A Woman, an Orchestra and a Martini". She is currently working on a series of short works, under the title "Nappy Headed Love Stories"***Anna Maria Luera is a professional actress who has performed with San Francisco’s Word for Word, Intersection for the Arts, San Jose Repertory Theatre & Teatro Visión. She has taught theatre workshops at the Red Ladder Theater program, Each One, Reach One and is currently the Program Director at Streetside Stories.***Karla Robinson is a founding member of the Herstories Project. She began performing with Starfish Theatreworks and has also been seen in BeatBox: A Raparetta. For the past 12 years she has taught theatre and writing to all ages including work with the Red Ladder Theatre Company, the San Jose Repertory Theatre; Each One, Reach and the SISTERS Program.*** ***Nicola Wagenberg is a founding member of the Herstories Project. She is a visual artist, filmmaker, performer, musician and dancer. She was the Program Director with JustThink and is now the Associate Director with The Cultural Conservancy. She plays percussion and sings with an Afro-Brazilian Batucada and an Afro-Colombian band, Alúna.*** ***Clara is an actress, dancer and philosopher. She has performed with the Mime Troupe and Brava Theater Center. She was raised in both the US and Mexico. She is currently studying acting, dance and psychology.*** ***Monica Navarro is a poet, dancer, and bilingual elementary educator, and a graduate of the B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies and Teacher Education Program at New College of California. She has performed with SF Poets Against Rape, Dance Apprentice Company, and at various academic and community events on issues ranging from cultural identity and self-transformation to social justice issues in education. She is reminded each day by her 2nd graders how to trust and take hold of the creative process of living.